"What could go wrong?" I debated, mounting a rusty bicycle in the overgrown jungles of Mexico. Unsurprisingly, a lot! It was the second to last day of my Junior year vacation in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. I woke up excited to explore Chichen Itza, one of the world's seven wonders! My family and I made our way out of bed and to the bus stop, only to arrive at our destination less than three hours later. This was a perilous trek in itself. To my bus driver (and a couple of other buses we passed along the way) the road markings served as more of a recommendation than law. Constantly swerving in and out of lanes, we almost drove another bus off of the road to avoid a head-on collision. An hour later, the same thing almost happened to us, but while we were passing over a bridge! Already shaken up by the start of our day, I wanted to cool my mood by exploring the ancient Mayan temples known as Chichen Itza. The day was anything but cool, however. By 10 am, it was nearly 90 degrees with almost 90 percent humidity. Within an hour, you'd have guessed that I just took a shower. Despite the heat, I was amazed by what I witnessed. Over 1500 years old, the city beheld remnants of a sports arena, homes, statues of animals, a gravesite, and a holy temple. To escape the heat, my family left Chichen Itza at noon to one of the many local cenotes (deep natural pools of water inside sinkholes). Often used for sacrifices, cenotes were often used as holy sites by ancient Mayans. This was not the case for the cenote we visited. A more recently discovered one, we visited a cenote open to the public for swimming. It was a wild experience. Swimming in a pool of crystal clear water but you cannot see the bottom. Bats raced overhead with the only light coming from the hole in the roof of the cave. We left the cenote at 1 to travel to our last destination of the day, Xel-Ha. Xel-Ha is a natural water park made out of rivers and pools of water. It features a lazy river, zip lines, and many other attractions. We arrived at 3, claiming our entrance wristbands and renting a locker for our luggage. I applied sunscreen, swapped into sandals, and left the locker room wearing nothing but my swim trunks. We started off our time at Xel-Ha swimming across the lake in the middle of the park with the goal of making it to the lazy river. It must have taken an hour! After we waited our turn and floated down the lazy river, it must have been 5 o'clock. Famished from the long day that had taken place, it was time to search for food. We looked at our map and realized that we had just missed the shuttle from the lazy river back to the entrance of the park where the restaurants were located. We weren't about to swim another hour back across the park and didn't want to wait another 30 minutes for the next shuttle. Instead, we wanted to ride the bikes back. The map has a bike path that takes you to the beginning of the park, right where we wanted to be! We were at the entrance in less than 5 minutes and located the rack of what must have been a hundred bicycles! We picked them up off of the racks and immediately noticed some problems. They were old and rusty from sitting in the humid and salty air. They were small and I barely fit. There weren't any brakes. There weren't any helmets. To make matters worse, I was wearing flip-flops and shorts, no shirt! We were so hungry at this point, that we just asked ourselves "What could go wrong," ignored the red flags and started on the trail through the jungle. This was a two-way dirt trail with trees on either side. There was barely enough space for two bikes to go side by side and not enough space in locations where trees grew in the middle of the path. The order of how we entered went my brother in front, my mom behind him, followed by me, and then my dad. Somehow, despite having no brakes, my brother kept abruptly stopping in front of my mom. She requested him to stop and just move slowly, but he wouldn't quit. I decided to step up and when nobody was on coming, attempted to pass him. "Faster! Faster!" my mom exclaimed jokingly as I overtook her. I should have known better. I succeeded! I passed my brother and was leading my family. However, we were at a slight downhill and about to turn a corner. I was going too fast! An oncoming guy swings around the corner! I tried to stop but to no avail, I hit his front wheel, flying over my bike and into the jungle! I reach my arm out to brace for impact. SNAP! I landed face-first just in front of a tree, bike bent in half landing on top of me, inches from possibly breaking my neck! But wait, I heard a crack. I couldn't move my arm! Panic set in as I knew what had happened. I was helped up and turned white. I had so much adrenaline in me that I almost passed out! The guy that I hit was perfectly fine and never even fell. I, on the other hand, just snapped the radial head clean off of my elbow. The resort health center put me in a sling and I waited for X-rays and surgery until I arrived home. Confirming my worst fears, I had "one of the worst breaks" the doctor had ever seen in this area. Since this accident, I have fully recovered and will always remember to wear a helmet. I could have died that day!

My roommate and I are a living example of developing skills to help others! At the end of my Senior year of high school, I weighed 258.7lbs at 5' 10" and was unhappy with my situation. I knew that there would be no one who felt sorry for me, and feeling sorry for myself would do nothing but make things worse, so I decided to do something about it. I got massively into weightlifting and bike riding. I took care of my diet. High protein, high carbs, low fats, and caloric deficit. It took 8 months, but I cut down to 195lbs, gaining large amounts of muscle and feeling better about how I look than ever before! I know what it is like to be overweight and unhappy, almost feeling like you have no support or will be like this forever. I made it my goal to make sure that this never happens to any of my friends! I have 4 of my closest friends from high school rooming with me at college, 3 of whom are on the heavier side and one on the skinnier side. Having seen my transformation and wanting to have one of their own, I have become their nutritionist and workout planner. We go to the gym together while I lead workouts. We go to the track together and we run miles at a time. My heaviest friend has lost over 40 pounds in just the duration of time since we have been at college. They have also convinced me to lose nearly 20 extra pounds and my journey has started recently. Another goal we have set as a group is a sub-4-hour marathon by the end of our second year. This is a 9:07 pace for 26.2 miles straight. While I am conditioned enough to complete a full mile, my fastest time is barely over 8:00 minutes. My friends are mostly behind me, nearly at the 9-minute mark. We are training consistently, however, to run about 15-20 miles a week to begin our marathon conditioning. They are happy with where they have come along within such a short time frame and have been getting compliments from family and friends when we return home for the holidays. One has even inspired his brother to go to the gym himself and get in shape. In the end, my goal is to convince others to live a healthier lifestyle and show the people around me that with dedication and motivation, you can change anything you do not like about yourself. A quote has stuck with me, "Motivation is what gets you in the gym the first time, dedication is what keeps you there". My job to those around me is not only to motivate them to try something new and possibly life-changing, but it is to build a dedication inside of them to the point where they feel guilty for not going to the gym. It is this type of mindset that will convince you that you can do anything and it carries over to our daily lives. Our schoolwork, our paid jobs, or our relationships with other people. There is nothing that is not possible!

There haven't been many days in the last 7 years that we haven't spent time with each other. We are roommates in college, we play video games together, and we go out almost every weekend with the rest of our friend group to get food or go on a hike! My friend Angel and I first met when we joined our local youth soccer team. We practiced for a few weeks before school started and we realized we had some of our 7th grade classes together. My father was the coach of our team Angel would often come to me during classes to be reminded of our training schedule and practice times. That is how it all began! We soon started hanging out together at breaks, playing ball, and talking about our love for video games. It turns out, we both played Fortnite, Minecraft, Rocket League, Pokemon, and Terraria. Nowadays, these are household titles, but in the age of 2017, finding another who had these interests was like finding a needle in a haystack! I still remember the first day we played online together. My parents were strict on not allowing me to have a phone during grade school, making it hard to communicate. During class, I wrote down Angel's Gamertag "SuppressedRoy" added him as a friend on my Xbox when I got home, and waited until 9 pm when we said we would link up. He had some conflicts arriving home nearly 30 minutes late from Walmart. My bedtime at this day in age was 10:00 sharp, but my parents made an exception, just this once. We played Fortnite and soccer together for what felt like the rest of our childhood. When games got old, we swapped titles to other shooters, climbing the ranks to become the best in our school! Angel and I learned a lot about each other in our 7th and 8th grade middle school years, including our desire to pursue Engineering. We joined our high school's engineering program together, taking many of the same classes, studying together, and becoming the top-ranking students in our graduating class! We both applied to our respective programs at our college (with our other engineering friends), Cal Poly, got accepted, and became roommates! After 7 years of bro-ing it out, we now live together! We are pushing each other to become the best we can be, training to complete a sub-4-hour marathon (pushing me to go from fat to fit) and going to the gym 4 days a week (pushing him to go from skinny to lean). We inspire each other's educational goals and personal goals! We even finish each other's _______! When I think of Angel, one moment in history comes to mind. 8th grade graduation, Adventure Park (local arcade/mini golf course). Most people wouldn't understand, but it was my first time ever trying an energy drink. He described me as "bouncing off the walls" and all I remember was the two of us (along with 3 others) having the time of our lives! I can't even put a finger on what made that day so special... It just was! Other notable memories include playing paintball, building our first computers, Senior Ditch Day, and one specific soccer practice where I tried juking him out and tripped, falling on my face! I think that the reason that we are such great friends is that we know each other so well. We have been through all of our life-defining moments together, elevating each other to new heights, and we are barely beginning our lives!

Aerospace is a subject that has always captivated me! From the meteors in the sky that hit the dinosaurs to the possibility of life on another planet, or even to the sophisticated aircraft we see today! I want to study at the forefront of Aerospace innovation because I want to contribute to something big. It could be a groundbreaking discovery or a more efficient and eco-friendly mode of transportation. Either way, I want to be able to look at something that I worked for months on and say that I did it. That something I made worked and is impacting so many people. I want Aerospace to be known by the public not for wars or as a waste of tax dollars, but as a field worth researching and studying. I am attending Cal Poly SLO as an undergraduate Aerospace Engineer studying to earn my degree and join the workforce. I am going to concentrate on Propulsion or Aerodynamics, as they are both versatile and are needed in the fields of Aerospace I plan on attending. I am stuck between the two and end up looking at their pros and cons. If I were to study Aerodynamics, I could research design opportunities that reduce the drag coefficient to increase fuel conservation, allowing rockets and planes to either use less or go further. Space missions could carry more supplies due to the less weight in the fuel allowing them to last longer. In the long run, the greenhouse emissions caused by the tons of burning fuel will also positively impact the environment. If I were to join propulsion, I could look at more efficient ways for an engine to conserve fuel. I could develop engines that have more power, increasing the speed of the aircraft, and possibly reducing transportation time or shipping times. I could even look at alternate fuel sources such as electric planes or nuclear-powered planes that might effectively fly forever. If I decided that I wanted to lean more into the Astro side of Aerospace and join space exploration, I might work on far-reaching telescopes and photograph objects such as black holes or far away planets with the possibility for life. I could help our people get to Mars and explore the planets and asteroids of our solar system! The only problem I have in the way of pursuing my degree is the cost of the degree. My parents make enough money for the government to not give any financial aid, but among housing, car, living expenses, and other payments, $33000 a year to attend school isn't very affordable for us. To combat this issue that my family has, I am trying to apply for scholarships and will likely need a part-time job to help support my college goals! I am already taking out student loans that will amount to almost $25000 by the time I am done, and anything I am capable of winning will offset my burden by a lot!

I have had struggles with mental health twice in my life. Once in my elementary school years, and another right now. Back in the third grade, I watched a PG-13 action movie that I probably shouldn't have. My imaginative mind took what was happening as accurate and started a whole chain of irrational (and rational) fears. Every time I went to the beach and we stayed overnight, I wouldn't be able to get to bed in fear of a tsunami sweeping us away. At home, I was constantly in constant paranoia about someone breaking in and executing us all. How this affected me academically was when we would read books in class, I would start to have little panic attacks. I would wonder if the house burning down in the book would happen as I sleep. I eventually overcame this through the power of therapy and prayer. Now, in high school, I am experiencing major burnout. This has been occurring for probably the entirety of my senior year. I have worked harder than I ever have to become ranked number 1 in my graduating class. In pursuit of this, however, I have had countless sleepless nights and average probably 4-5 hours of sleep when I do get some. As I am starting the second semester of my high school senior year, I am starting to feel like I can't take it anymore. I wake up with headaches and a fogginess about what is happening. I get home and am so exhausted, I cannot do my workouts and end up laying down. I feel sad and upset or helpless more often. I get to class on my inadequate sleep and I cannot focus on what the teachers are saying. We have an assignment and I can't be bothered working on it in class, adding to my homework. The night before a test comes and I start to panic because I haven't been doing what I need to do to get the A. On my journey to rank number 1, I have lost many things. I haven't spent time on myself and have said no to many social events. I haven't had the senior year everybody talks about. One that is exciting, fun, and easy. I have gone so far that I cannot simply back down, but instead finish it out and hold on for a few more months. I know that this is an unhealthy option, but it is the option that I choose because I won't stop.

The STEM major I am pursuing is Aerospace Engineering. Ever since I was a little kid, space has been one of the most captivating subjects for me. Can we travel to other solar systems? Galaxies? Are we the only life out there? Can we live on Mars? I have a universe full of questions that I have no answers for. The only way I have found that I can answer my questions is by contributing to our knowledge of space through expanding on space exploration. I love the engineering way of problem-solving, love physics, and love seeing something I have planned come to fruition. Whether it be satellites, rovers, space shuttles, or rockets, I believe that I can make an impact. I do not only want to work on the project, however, but I also want to be a team leader. In my engineering classes at my school, I almost always am designated the project leader. I assign parts to my teammates' abilities, ensure they are doing their work on time and correctly, and also work on the project myself. While I work well and efficiently under someone else's supervision, I feel like I do my best work while in charge. One of the main reasons I find that I have chosen Aerospace Engineering as my major besides my love of space is because of how complex it is. People always say "it's not rocket science" because of how difficult to understand rocket science is supposed to be. I love challenges and often challenge myself to do hard things, such as learn an instrument or learn to build computers. This would be my largest challenge yet, learning actual rocket science. I love physics and math, but out in space, most of what we learn in school doesn't apply. I have chosen Engineering in general because it turns what I am good at (problem-solving, math, science) and turns it into a social atmosphere. One of the most common jobs of an Engineer is communicating with your team. I am a very social person who loves speaking to people on any topic. A team-based job where I get to do something that I love is my dream. A couple of other STEM majors that interest me include Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Electrical Engineering. Aerospace is supposed to be a mix of Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Both of these majors have a wider scope of jobs that you can apply for, should I find that Aerospace Engineering isn't for me once I land the job. Chemistry was one of my favorite classes in high school, leaving me in awe during every lab session. Finding ways to build new molecules for medications or materials through chemistry experiments also seems like something that would be up my alley and something that I would explore once in college.

My dream is to become an Aerospace Engineer. Ever since I could speak, I have been asking thousands of questions about every random little topic to my parents, teachers, friends, and even myself. One thing I have found through these inquiries is I hate when a question goes unanswered. With the topic of Space, we understand so little with so little answered. Are we the only life? Can we travel across solar systems? Can we actually live on Mars? How do rockets work if there is no oxygen for combustion in space? Why don't rockets tear themselves apart when re-entering the atmosphere, or get blown up while in the vacuum of space? It is the constant can, how, and why that inspires me to be an engineer. To answer the unanswered and create new questions not asked yet. It isn't only Space that fascinates me, however. Another STEM career I am looking into is Chemical Engineering. When I watch a movie, read a book, or play a video game, it is almost always medieval or fantasy. One thing that they always have in common is alchemy and magic, where you can turn one thing into another. Chemistry is the real-life version of magic. You create new chemical bonds and destroy others by mixing two or more things. I have watched a man turn vinyl gloves into hot sauce and grape soda. That same guy created alcohol from toilet paper and extracted cyanide from almonds. Chemical Engineering would allow me to study the creation of new materials, possibly for the rockets that I mentioned earlier. A student from MIT just invented a new plastic stronger than steel costing a fraction of the price. I could be that future student finding new ways to improve the world. Along with Aerospace Engineering is Mechanical Engineering. Mechanical Engineering would offer me the same benefits that Aerospace Engineering would, but with a wider scope of possibilities. Designing, problem-solving, and inventing are what make me excited about Engineering as a whole. If my plans were to change, Mechanical Engineering would allow me to stretch beyond just Aerospace Engineering and go to other passions. For example, I love cars. I could become a car designer or work for one of the big companies. The last kind of Engineering I am interested in is Electrical. I have always wanted to learn to code. Coding is the language that computers recognize and would allow me to go into robotics, another passion of mine. I have built 5 computers in my life but have yet to learn how to program them to run an operation. It would be a new experience that has many possible outcomes. I could work for one of the big tech companies. I could work for Apple or Samsung or even start my own tech company. Engineering offers me endless opportunities to find answers to unanswered questions and broaden my understanding of the world (and outside the world). It allows me to invent, problem solve, and find new, more efficient solutions to old and new problems.

Engineering is my passion because of my love for problem-solving, building, and inventing. From as early as 5, I have been building LEGOs from scratch and instructions. When I turned 9, I got into Minecraft. I made anything and everything I could from the materials available. I asked my parents for ideas and would compete against my brother to create the best building. When it became time for me to enter high school, I learned that my high school offered an Engineering Academy. I joined during my Freshman year and have been a part of it ever since. Working with a group of students to come up with a solution to a problem, actually create it, and have it work is a feeling that I do not get from anything else. My favorite project of all time was my Freshman year final. The project was to create a toy with Automata box mechanics. I could have built mine out of cardboard and bottle caps like the teacher suggested, but I wanted to create something that would last for years, something I was proud of. After designing, replicating on AutoCAD, and construction/working out a few kinks, I made a dragon out of wood that flies up and down as you rotate the spinning wheel. It is on my dresser to remind myself what I can achieve when I put my mind to it. To further solidify my desire for Engineering, I did a summer internship at a local Structural Engineering firm. While I do not feel like Structural Engineering is the path I will be wanting to pursue, it was probably one of the most meaningful experiences I have had. I shadowed meetings with clients, watched the Engineering process in person, and further practiced my AutoCAD skills. The Summer Internship made me question how and why. How did we build a skyscraper? A Rocket? How did the Mayans and Egyptians build their Temples/Pyramids? How will these buildings still be standing in a hundred years? Why will these buildings survive an earthquake? These questions of why's and how's are what inspire me to become an Engineer. I love having answers to all of my questions but with certain subjects such as space, you can't get that. That is why Aerospace Engineering is what I plan to major in. I plan on discovering the answers to all of the questions gone unanswered.