I grew up watching my grandfather serve in the Army National Guard. I always had respect for what he did and the courage he showed whenever he was deployed. I often had army uniforms to play in when I was young and I dreamed of one day being in the Army just like my grandfather. As I got older, the desire to serve my country got stronger but my interest started leaning more toward the Air Force versus the Army. I have always had an interest in aerodynamics and possibly being a pilot. My career goals are to become a pilot in the Air Force and after I serve, if I should leave the military, to work for a space organization as an engineer. I am currently studying Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University. I am also part of the Det 250 Air Force ROTC program. Along with ROTC, I joined the Iowa Air National Guard and am currently stationed in Sioux City, Iowa with the 185th Air Refueling Unit. I work in the air transportation shop. We make pallets and make sure that everything that needs to be on the plane is there and secure. This summer I will attend basic training. After basic, I plan on attending the honor guard since I have experience from ROTC. I also joined the Air National Guard as I wanted to get a better understanding of what it is like as an enlisted personal. After graduation from ROTC and when I become an officer, I will have the knowledge and skills to work more efficiently with my team, as I will have experience in their position. Additionally, working in the Air Guard will allow me to learn how the military works so that I can relay those skills back to ROTC. Although being part of the Air National Guard will be the best experience to help me be prepared to serve my country when I become an officer in the Air Force, my experience being in 4H International Culture Club while in high school, will also serve me well. I had the opportunity to visit Kosovo for 2 weeks as part of this group. The club members and I went to Kosovo as ambassadors for our city and state. We spent time getting to know the customs and cultures of students from Kosovo, North Macedonia, Switzerland, and Albania as well as doing community service projects. This experience grew my love of traveling to new places and experiencing other customs and cultures. It deepened my beliefs that we all want the same things in life, no matter where we come from and that we can always learn new things from each other. Seeing Kosovo first hand and hearing about their war torn country and how American soldiers came over to help them, reinforced my desire to serve. Being in the military and serving my country is what I have always dreamed of. I hope to make my grandfather just as proud of me as I am of him.

My mother has been the most influential person in my life. She has been my rock throughout my life. Little did I know when I was little that she would have such a huge impact on my career choice. She had put glow-in-the-dark stickers of the planets, moon and stars on my walls. It was more just for some light in my room so I wasn't so scared but it ignited a passion in space for me. She would often read to me stories or books about space that also helped grow my fascination. As an early childhood educator, she knows the importance of education and how it can help take you to your dreams. Throughout school, she has been the one to help me. From my elementary days of learning the foundational skills to even my high school years. She often said that once I was in high school, the content was beyond what she knew, yet she stayed by my side to help me in any way she could. Not only has she helped me educationally, she has been my biggest supporter while I played multiple sports in high school. She made sure that my uniforms were always clean, I had snacks for the long bus rides, and helped me with my homework but most importantly, she never missed a game.- At the time, I didn't realize how important having her there to cheer me on would be. There is nothing better than to see your mom in the stands and to have her hug you afterward, no matter the outcome. This past year, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. This is not what an 18-year-old wants to hear. Why would God do that to her? Even with her diagnoses, surgery, chemo and radiation, she has not stopped being there for me. Cancer is scary and emotionally draining on everyone, yet my mom gets out of bed every day with a positive attitude and continues to take care of the family. I look at her with such admiration and can only hope to one day be as strong as she is. Life is never easy or simple but I have learned that you get out of life what you put into it. I am thankful to have had my mom in my life who has taught me how to be strong even in the toughest moments. Having the courage and faith to continue when faced with adversity is a must in life. When you have that courage and faith along with people who support you 100%, you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. My mom has helped shape me into who I am today and I will complete my college education, join the Air Force and someday work in an aerospace engineering field to not only make myself proud but also my mother.

Cancer is a scary word and unfortunately heard all too often in life. It has affected my family so many times on my mother's side. I have had a great-grandmother, two great-aunts and one great-uncle all pass away from some type of cancer. But the two people who mean the world to me and have had the most impact on my life have had cancer, my grandfather and mother. In my freshman year of high school, my grandfather passed away from brain cancer. He was battling his second round of tumors. We all thought he was doing well, but he died unexpectedly in his sleep. Because he had brain cancer, there never was an autopsy to determine if he died from cancer. I had stopped by his house just 5 days before he passed away but I was more interested in hurrying up shoveling his driveway so I could go be with friends. It still haunts me that I didn't spend more time with him that day. As a 14-year-old, I didn't understand that anything can happen and life can change in an instant. I looked up to my grandfather and we often talked about how hard his life was because he never finished high school. He always encouraged me to take my education seriously and that I could do whatever I set my mind to. He knew I wanted to go into Aerospace Engineering and possibly a career in the Air Force. After he died, I made the decision that I would make him proud and work as hard as I can to reach my education and career goals. Last year, in my senior year of high school, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was news I didn't expect nor want to hear. Right away my thoughts turned to my grandfather and all the other relatives who died from cancer. How can I lose my mother too? She has been my rock throughout my life. She is a teacher so she too understands the importance of an education and has helped fuel my desire to learn. From reading to me as a baby to helping me with my high school and college classes, she has always put me first. Even with her diagnoses, surgery, chemo and radiation, she has not stopped being there for me. Cancer is scary and emotionally draining on everyone, yet my mom gets out of bed every day with a positive attitude and continues to take care of the family and goes to work. I look at her with such admiration and can only hope to one day be as strong as she is. I am taking it one day at a time and continuing to put all my effort into my education. Not only do I want to honor my grandfathers but also my mother. Life is never easy or simple but I have learned that you get out of life what you put into it. I am thankful to have had people in my life who have taught me how to be strong even in the toughest moments. Having the courage and faith to continue when faced with adversity is a must in life. When you have that courage and faith along with people who support you 100%, you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to. These challenges in my life have made me strong and I will complete my college education, join the Air Force and someday work in an aerospace engineering field to not only make myself proud but also my grandfathers and mother.

My passion for an Aerospace Engineering degree started when I was a young child. I was fascinated by space, stars, and the unknown. I had glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on my walls. I would often dream of going into space and discovering what is out there. My mom would also read me books on space before I could read. Those stories and glow-in-the-dark stars started my dreams of becoming an astronaut, exploring the universe, and solving problems to make this world a better place. This is what truly kick-started my love for engineering. I am currently a freshman at Iowa State University pursuing an Aerospace Engineering degree. Along with this, I am also a part of the Air Force ROTC program at ISU. I am also in the process of enlisting in the Air National Guard. My goal is to become a crew chief so I get the opportunity to know the planes inside and out. Along with this, I will get to know the current pilots and how they fly. This will allow me to have an advantage, when I graduate from ISU, to become a pilot in the Air Force. At this time, I do not know how long I will serve in the Air Force. If I do not serve my whole career, I also have the goal of working for a space organization as an engineer or even an astronaut. Exploring, creating, and problem-solving to make things better is my passion. I am currently involved in the Rocket Club, Skydiving Club, Solar Car Club, and Formula SAE Club. I am also a resident treasurer for my dorm. Because I am taking 17 credits this semester and all that I am involved in, I am not working during the school year. I will also be attending boot camp this coming summer for the Air National Guard and will not be able to work. Winning this scholarship will help me continue to be able to spend my time on my studies, ROTC duties, Air National Guard, and being involved in clubs. My education has been and will continue to be very important to me. I understand that I will not reach my career and life goals without my education. I am hoping to gain as much knowledge and experience while attending college and winning scholarships will help me do just that. I would like to finish college with as little debt as possible with the help of scholarships.

Though the game of Minecraft has endless possibilities, there is always a progression of the game that I follow. No matter if it is a new game or one that is years old, I always have an objective in mind. Envisioning my goals and letting my creativity go wild is one of the funnest parts of the game. The fact that you can create and build almost anything your mind thinks of with little to no details or that it is so realistic you forget it's made of blocks. These things are nice and fun, but when you're by yourself, it tends to get tedious very quickly and sometimes mind-numbing. This is fixed by the part of the game that I cherish the most, that being the ability to play with friends. Minecraft is one of the only games that has stood the test of time. Whether it be the times as kids playing split screen on our mom’s TV’s, playing on our phones, or now on our computers, the moments together have never changed. There is always that time of year where things get rough for all of us and we all collectively decide to hop on the game and create a new world. The amount of fun and joy that the game brings is indescribable. Even if the world starts with order and objectives it always ends in chaos and destruction. But for some reason, it's very fun despite the fact that we sound mad. We might be mad at each other, but the cycle will inevitably repeat itself a few months down the line. We will create a new world, laugh at the previous one, establish order and objectives, and then end in destruction. This process resonates with me deeply because regardless of what is happening in the real world, we always find time to play together. From playing the game in our living room at eight years old, to playing in our dorm rooms at nineteen and in college. The game has forever brought joy and friendship, but most importantly memories that will last a lifetime.

Throughout my life, I have had many accomplishments. Some small and some large, but nothing compares to my academic success as a high school student with the many obstacles that have tried to stop me. My freshman year was one of the most challenging years for me as I lost my great-grandfather and then my grandfather 4 months later. Then 2 months after that school closed because of Covid. Both of my grandfathers meant a lot to me. They both instilled in me the importance of education. Neither of them finished high school. My great-grandfather joined the Navy and then he worked at USG until he retired. My grandfather farmed until he went bankrupt. He then got his GED and started working at AGP. He worked his way up from the production line to the plant manager before he retired. They often talked about how they regretted dropping out of high school and not taking their education seriously. Even though they both turned out okay, they have instilled in me that my education is crucial and that I can do whatever I put my mind to, no matter how hard it is. Losing them both so close together was very hard for me. I had to work even harder that year to stay focused on my education, both for myself and for them. I started my high school career with challenges and I ended it with the biggest challenge yet. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in January. She has been my rock throughout my life. She is a teacher so she too understands the importance of an education and has helped fuel my desire to learn. From reading to me as a baby to helping me with my high school and college classes, she has always put me first. Even with her diagnoses, surgery, chemo and radiation, she has not stopped being there for me. Cancer is scary and emotionally draining on everyone, yet my mom gets out of bed every day with a positive attitude and continues to take care of the family. I look at her with such admiration and can only hope to one day be as strong as she is. Though these major difficulties have slowed me down and gotten in the way, I was still able to prevail and finish high school with a 3.75 GPA and 25 college credits. This fall I will be attending Iowa State University majoring in aerospace engineering. I will also be joining the AFROTC program and Air National Guard. These opportunities will allow me to live out my goals of protecting our country and being able to fly and explore the skies. I will always continue to work hard in my education not only for my own benefit but also to honor both my grandfathers and my mother.

Though I did not get to travel and see her live tour, or watch as closely as I would have wished, it has still been spectacular to see how everything has come together for Taylor’s Eras Tour. The amount of teamwork from her, her staff, and all those who helped in the production of her live performances is a reminder to me and hopefully others, that teamwork makes the dream work. With this tour, her songs brought joy and happiness to thousands of people, including myself, but they also brought a sort of remorse for me. They brought me back to a time when things were simpler. As a freshman in high school, we would often listen to her songs before playing our JV baseball games. One upperclassman would start playing a song of hers regardless of the situation, oftentimes singing them to himself on the field when the songs were not playing. This continued for the next 2 years until he was a senior and then graduated. This past year I was a senior and looking back on it, the baseball season was just not as fun as before. Something was just different when we had Taylor’s songs on and then got focused to play. This year we were not focused and often distracted and this made for a difficult season. Gone were the days of Taylor Swift songs before baseball and the joy we shared. In this, I realize that I may never play baseball and share a passion for it again. But all hope is not lost. Within the final stops of Taylor’s Eras Tour, I realized that it’s not all about the past moments of joy, but more about the people you shared joy with along with finding joy in each and every task you do no matter the difficulty. Like playing a game of baseball, getting up for work in the morning, or even performing for thousands of people, joy can be found. Within her songs, I have truly discovered that joy is what you make it and who you share it with along the way. So, as I head off to college in just a few short weeks, I will take my understanding of making the most of every situation and finding the joy in them with me. Starting a new chapter in life is scary but I will take my favorite Taylor songs and the lessons I’ve learned to help me along the way.

My passion for an aviation degree started when I was a young child. I was fascinated by space, stars, and the unknown. I had glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on my walls. I would often dream of going into space and discovering what is out there. My mom would also read me books on space before I could read. Those stories and glow-in-the-dark stars started my dreams of becoming an astronaut, exploring the universe, and solving problems to make this world a better place. This is what truly kick-started my love for aviation. I have since decided to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering at Iowa State University. Along with this, I also plan to be part of not only the Air Force ROTC program at ISU, but also enlisting in the Air National Guard. This will allow me to get even closer to aviation each and every day. From there I plan on becoming a crew chief so I can get to know the planes inside and out. I will also get to know the current pilots and how they fly. This will allow me to have an advantage, when I graduate from ISU, to become a pilot. This is my ultimate dream. Just the rush of flying at rapid speeds is unmatched like no other. For the past 4 years, I have shown a commitment to my community by being part of 4-H. I was part of the International Culture Club as an ambassador for my town and state. This past summer, four other students and I had the opportunity to visit Kosovo. This was part of Iowa’s sister city program, where students from Iowa and from Kosovo get to travel and talk to each other about their issues in their communities and come up with solutions. While there, we stayed in a camp with other students from not only Kosovo, but also North Macedonia, Albania, and Sweden. During the first few days, we had the opportunity to learn about each other's cultures and ways of life. After this, we started our community project for our sister city of Gjakova. We decided to create stars that would light up and place them in local establishments as part of Manifesta 14, an art festival held in Prishtina. We also did this to symbolize bringing light back to Kosovo as their past has been riddled with war. The people and local businesses were very appreciative and loved the stars which helped them grow closer as a community. Though we were only able to spend a few weeks in Kosovo, our community project did not end there. We decided to bring back our ideas and create stars for our own community. During the next few weeks we, as a group, held coffee talks at local establishments where we taught others in our community how to create the stars themselves. We also gave speeches on what our experiences were like and provided input on our own problems in our community and what the other countries thought we should do. Along with that we took our ideas and experiences to our local government officials and gave ours and others inputs on our local issues and what solutions we had to offer. I am thankful for this experience as I have grown in my abilities to communicate, problem solve, be a team player and the understanding of other cultures. All of these qualities will serve me well in my future career in aviation and in life.

My passion for an aviation degree started when I was a young child. I was fascinated by space, stars, and the unknown. I had glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on my walls. I would often dream of going into space and discovering what is out there. My mom would also read me books on space before I could read. Those stories and glow-in-the-dark stars started my dreams of becoming an astronaut, exploring the universe, and solving problems to make this world a better place. This is what truly kick-started my love for aviation. I have since decided to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering at Iowa State University. Along with this, I also plan to be part of not only the Air Force ROTC program at ISU, but also enlisting in the Air National Guard. This will allow me to get even closer to aviation each and every day. From there I plan on becoming a crew chief so I get the opportunity to know the planes inside and out. Along with this I will get to know the current pilots and how they fly. This will allow me to have an advantage, when I graduate from ISU, to become a pilot. This is my ultimate dream. Just the rush of flying at rapid speeds is unmatched like no other. For the past 4 years, I have shown a commitment to my community by being part of 4-H. I was part of the International Culture Club as an ambassador for my town and state. This past summer, four other students and myself had the opportunity to visit Kosovo. This was part of Iowa’s sister city program, where students from Iowa and from Kosovo get to travel and talk to each other about their issues in their communities and come up with solutions. While there, we stayed in a camp with other students from not only Kosovo, but also North Macedonia, Albania, and Sweden. During the first few days we had the opportunity to learn about each other's cultures and ways of life. After this we started our community project for our sister city of Gjakova. We decided to create stars that would light up and place them in local establishments as part of Manifesta 14, an art festival held in Prishtina. We also did this to symbolize bringing light back to Kosovo as their past has been riddled with war. The people and local businesses were very appreciative and loved the stars and helped them grow closer as a community. Though we were only able to spend a few weeks in Kosovo, our community project did not end there. We decided to bring back our ideas and create stars for our own community. During the next few weeks we, as a group, held coffee talks at local establishments where we taught others in our community how to create the stars themselves. We also gave speeches on what our experiences were like and gave input to our own problems in our community and what the other countries thought we should do. Along with that we took our ideas and experiences to our local government officials and gave ours and others inputs on our local issues and what solutions we had to offer. I am thankful for this experience as I have grown in my abilities to communicate, problem solve, being a team player, and the understanding of other cultures. All of these qualities will serve me well in my future career with aviation and in life.

I dream of not only becoming a successful pilot and aerospace engineer but also becoming a famous astronaut.

I love to problem-solve. Math and science have always been exciting fields of study for me. I have loved solving math problems and learning new concepts in science. Because of this, I have recently gotten into the field of 3D printers. These wonderful machines have allowed me to problem-solve in numerous different ways. They have proved to be very useful in everyday applications. Recently, I have been having an issue finding my daily essentials like my keys or wallet. Not being able to find them in the morning has caused panic and often leads me to be late for important events. Because of this, I thought out a plan on how to make sure all my essentials were in one spot. I came up with a plan to make a creative tray in which I could sit all my stuff in so I would know exactly where it was. After a few hours of modeling, I had the idea down. I transferred the file to my printer and within a few hours, I had a tray with many compartments for all my daily essentials. To this day, I have not lost any of my stuff and have been on time for all of my events. This problem was only solved because of my 3D printer however they have a problem themselves. They use plastic, which is okay, but in recent times plastics have been plaguing the environment and our oceans. If I had the money and resources I would create a business that would help lessen the plastic waste in the oceans by turning it into a useable 3d printer filament. In junction with various ocean clean-up organizations, I would buy or receive the plastic. Then it would go through a cleaning process to remove any dirt or grime that is on the surface. Then the plastic would be cut down into small bits. These bits would then be put through a machine that would melt them down and then extrude them into the right thickness to be used in 3D printers. It would then be wound up and packaged and then sold. Prices would be as minimal as possible and all the proceeds would go to sustaining the business and supporting ocean clean-up organizations. Through this business, I would not only be able to solve the problem that is the large amount of trash that is in our oceans, but I would also be able to fuel the creativity that those with 3D printers have. Then in turn they would be able to create solutions for their own problems no matter how small or large they are.

I have loved baseball since I started playing when I was 4 years old, even though I played more in the dirt at that age. I played rec ball until I was 9 and then joined a traveling team. I was part of that team until I was 13. I played right field, 3rd base, and pitching but gained a deep understanding of the fundamentals of baseball and what it means to be part of a team. I then joined my high school JV and Varsity teams. I have become a utility player throughout my high school career. There isn't a position I haven't played for my high school team as there are usually only 15-20 kids. I have come to realize the skill gap that comes with varsity baseball is larger than people think. This has led me to become a leader early on and help my teammates who have those gaps. I enjoy any position I am called on to play but pitching is my favorite position. I can lead my team when pitching. I thrive on those tough situations pitching can have and can handle the disappointment when things don't go my way. My biggest accomplishment as a pitcher was last year when I pitched a complete game with only 1 run. We hadn't beaten that team for 15 years. My favorite team is the Minnesota Twins. My father's favorite football team is the Minnesota Vikings so I decided very young that I would follow the Twins. I live only 3.5 hrs from Target Field so I have been able to attend many games over the years. I was also able to attend a Twins' training camp when I was 11. Having professional players and coaches as trainers have taught me how important it is to be a leader in baseball and to share my knowledge with others. My favorite player of all time is Joe Mauer. I admire how he was also a multi-position player throughout his career. I respect how he stayed true to the Twins and played for them for 15 years. He was also a very humble man when I was able to meet him and get his autograph during Twins Fest when I was 10 years old. I have looked up to the kind of player Joe was and the dedication he had for the game and his team. I was lucky enough to attend the final home game of his career. I have a bobblehead of him catching that I keep on my desk to remind me of the type of player and teammate I need to be.

I have learned that applying for scholarships is more complicated than I originally thought it would be. I have been overwhelmed with finding scholarships that I actually qualify for. Being from a middle-class, white family and a male often doesn't fit the requirements of many scholarships. I often think I have found a scholarship to apply for but then find out I don't meet the financial or race requirements. I have nothing against scholarships for those who are underprivileged as they need just as much financial help as anyone else. I believe everyone deserves a chance to apply for scholarships to help them with their future goals and education. I am just having a hard time finding scholarships for myself. I have applied for many no-essay scholarships as they often don't have a financial need or underprivileged status attached to them. The problem with that is these scholarships are open nationally and one has little chance of winning with the thousands that apply. I will keep applying for these types in hopes of maybe winning. I have also learned that there are many places or ways to find scholarships and not all are safe or cost money. I have joined newsletters and websites to receive as many scholarship opportunities as possible. I have come to realize that some websites or scholarship applications cost money to apply which doesn't seem right. Why would one pay for a chance to win a scholarship when one applies for a scholarship because of financial reasons, to begin with? I have also found out that some scholarship applications want you to join their newsletters and emails. I am now inundated with emails with places or websites that I have no real interest in or use for. I often have to spend time deleting so many emails just to find the ones that I truly need. I just hope I don't delete an email that is of importance. Applying for scholarships is also very time-consuming. I am spending as much free time as I have to apply and it seems never-ending. Most applications have many components to fill out that take a lot of time, even if it is basic information and not hard to do. It would be great if there was a way to input the basic information that all applications want without having to retype it each time. Scholarships that require essays are also time-consuming. I understand that essays help set one apart from others and help decide on who wins scholarships but often essays are not a quick write. Writing a quality essay and conveying your message in the best way possible, takes time and lots of thought. Applying for scholarships is time-consuming and hard to do at times, but if awarded any type of scholarship it will make it worth it in the end.

I am passionate about engineering because I love to problem solve. Math and science have always been exciting fields of study for me. I have loved solving math problems and learning new concepts in science. This has led me to want to pursue a major in aerospace engineering where I will be able to study how objects move through the air and hopefully space. As a child, I was fascinated by space, stars, and the unknown. I had glow-in-the-dark stars and planets on my walls. I would often dream of going into space and discovering what is out there. My mom would also read me books on space before I could read. Those stories and glow-in-the-dark stars started my dreams of becoming an astronaut, exploring the universe, and solving problems to make this world a better place. Seeing astronauts explore and problem-solve intrigues me. This is what truly kick-started my love for the STEM fields. I love to see everything as a challenge and a problem that needs to be solved. In doing this I take many different angles of pursuit and seek out many solutions. It may be something as small as what I should eat for lunch or what I think NASA could have done better with some of their studies and rocket launches. I am constantly looking at what companies like NASA and SpaceX are discovering by looking at their Instagram pages or their websites. This week has been very exciting as NASA is at the beginning of its new Artemis program that will take humans back to the moon in the hopes to have permanent civilization there. It is my dream to one day be part of a team who explores the unknown and works together to solve problems to give mankind the best life there is, whether it is here on Earth or out in the Universe. I am very excited about college next year and being able to get a hands-on approach to some of the world's biggest problems that need solving. I have already applied and have been excepted into Iowa State University majoring in Aerospace Engineering. I am also planning on joining the Airforce ROTC with the goal of becoming an airforce pilot. Winning this scholarship would help me with my dreams.