Growing up, the shadow of incarceration was a constant in my life. My father left before I was born, and my mother’s struggle with addiction meant I was placed in foster care as a baby. My childhood was marked by instability. I never got adopted and rarely stayed with the same family for more than a year, sometimes just a few months. By the time I graduated, I had lived with nearly 25 different foster parents, over 15 group homes, and in temporary housing at more than 10 boys' ranches. I moved from school to school, more than 25 in total, trying to find some sense of stability in a life that was anything but stable.Despite all the chaos, I threw myself into my education. I managed to keep almost straight A’s, maintain nearly perfect attendance, and stay out of trouble. I joined every extracurricular I could, from basketball and the school newspaper to STAR events with FCCLA, yearbook, refereeing school sports, and exploreNET competitions. By my senior year, I was even a TA for math and English. I stayed kind, positive, and determined, but despite all my efforts, I never found a permanent home or a family who wanted to keep me.In 2022, both of my biological parents passed away, my father in Tennessee and my mother in Las Vegas. They died alone, and I didn’t find out until it was too late to say goodbye. Even though I didn’t have much of a relationship with them, losing them left me with a deep sense of loss and a lot of reflection on the life I’d lived.Their incarceration and my unstable childhood have definitely left their mark on me, but they’ve also fueled my determination to break the cycle. I’m committed to building a life that’s stable and fulfilling, and education is my way forward. I’m working towards a degree in computer science with a focus on artificial intelligence because I believe AI can help solve some of the world’s biggest problems, from healthcare to environmental sustainability.To cope with everything I’ve been through, I’ve developed some self-care practices that keep me grounded. Having a clear sense of purpose is crucial for me. I set goals and work hard to achieve them, which helps me stay on track even when life feels overwhelming. I’ve also learned the importance of building a supportive community around me. I’ve created my own family from friends, mentors, and educators who believe in me, and their support gives me the strength to keep moving forward.Writing is another way I take care of myself. It’s my outlet for processing emotions and reflecting on my experiences. Turning my pain into something meaningful through writing helps me make sense of everything I’ve been through and keeps me motivated to keep pushing forward.In conclusion, my parents’ incarceration and my experiences in the foster care system have deeply affected me, but they’ve also driven me to pursue a future where I can break free from the hardships of my past. With the support of this scholarship, I’m committed to using my education and experiences to make a positive impact on the world, not just for myself but for others who might be struggling too.

My journey with Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a thrilling and transformative one. As I look to the future, I can't help but feel an incredible sense of excitement for the achievements that await us, made possible by the partnership between humans and AI, particularly deep learning AI. I'm wildly passionate about being on the front lines of this new world we are now embarking on, one that we are pioneering together with AI. The potential for this collaboration to drive innovation, create solutions, and reshape our future is infinite. My introduction to AI wasn't just theoretical; it was hands-on. I utilized AI in my business ventures, including my online retail company, Bizarre Panda LLC. I started using AI in my business by using AI driven customer support and chatbots which allowed me to provide 24/7 support, answer common queries, and engage in complex interactions. This improved customer service and allowed me to redirect my focus to other critical aspects of my business. It was incredible to see how AI was able to simplify and enhance my daily operations. In no time, I was able to research and integrate new AI powered tools into my business. I leveraged AI for market analysis and predictive analytics to compute unbelievably accurate and large amounts of data to discover what was popular, with both my and my competitor's customers. This allowed me to create aggressive and engaging campaigns and aim them at perfectly targeted audiences. This not only improved the profitability of my business but also opened my eyes to the incredible potential of AI. The result is clear that AI is a game-changer when it comes to enhancing customer experiences and increasing the efficiency of business operations. Looking forward, my ambitions and goals are set on a future where AI is embedded in every facet of my personal and professional life. With the exciting future that deep learning AI and humans are creating, I couldn't be more excited for what lies ahead. After graduating with my degree in AI, I plan to stay at the cutting edge of AI tech. I see myself as a bridge between the human world and the realm of AI, using this partnership to create innovative solutions that will address some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. I'm excited to work alongside AI to further the frontiers of scientific discovery, push the boundaries of innovation, and contribute to a more sustainable and higher dimension of living. I envision a world where AI and humans collaborate to tackle complex issues in healthcare, environment, education, intelligent technology, and beyond. My fascination with AI is much more then just mere interest; it's a passion that drives me to need to explore the uncharted territories of human-AI collaboration. I am deeply enthusiastic about the future and the incredible potential for AI to bring about positive change. Together, humans and AI can reach remarkable levels of scientific achievements that were once inconceivable, and I am wholeheartedly committed to being a part of this transformative journey. One of the most exciting projects I've had the privilege of working on involved leveraging AI to tackle a critical problem in my online retail business, Bizarre Panda LLC. The challenge was to optimize customer experiences and increase sales, and the AI technologies I employed opened new doors to success. The problem was in my online retail business, Bizarre Panda LLC. I was facing the common challenge of personalizing customer interactions. I wanted to deliver tailored recommendations and content to each customer based on their behavior and preferences. The task was colossal, considering the complexity of trying to manually analyze my website visits, purchase history, and customer feedback. I needed a solution to enhance my customer experience and boost sales, and also to relieve the frustrations of feeling lost while looking over my data sets. I found my companies as well as my own enthusiasms saving grace in the form of AI technologies, primarily machine learning and natural language processing. These tools had the potential to analyze enormous datasets, decipher customer behavior, and even provide easy to understand actionable insights. My first step was to implement AI algorithms that would process my customers data in real-time. These algorithms collected and analyzed data on customer interactions with my website, tracking my customer's preferences, browsing patterns, and purchase history. This enabled me to create customer profiles with an almost intimate insight into personalities and interests. Next, I employed NLP techniques to analyze customer comments & reviews to extract sentiment analysis and identify key words that customers used when describing my products. This provided invaluable insights into what customers loved about my products and promotions and where I could improve. To create personalized recommendations, I utilized collaborative filtering, a machine learning technique that identifies patterns in customer behavior. It allowed me to suggest products that other similar customers had shown interest in, leading to a more personalized shopping experience. The impact of this project was nothing short of unbelievable. I saw a significant increase in customer engagement and satisfaction. My sales experienced a noticeable boost, and customers were more likely to discover and purchase products that resonated with their preferences. The success of this AI driven project was eye-opening. For Bizarre Panda LLC, the project resulted in increased sales and improved customer retention. My business became more efficient as AI handled the bulk of customer segmentation and recommendation tasks, allowing me to focus on strategic decision-making. From a customer's perspective, the impact was equally positive. They enjoyed a shopping experience that felt tailor-made for their needs and desires. The feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive, with customers appreciating the personalized approach to their shopping journey. In conclusion, this AI project showcased the incredible potential of AI in revolutionizing customer experiences and boosting sales in the online retail sector. It was a journey that combined the power of data analysis, machine learning, and NLP to create a more personalized, efficient, and satisfying shopping experience for my customers.