I'm Jay Booth, an eighteen year old committed to Quinnipiac University for political science. With this degree, I intend to study election analytics, and eventually become a politician. My main focus is to directly impact people's lives through the political scene, and pass legislation and other actions through the government infrastructure to help assist the everyday American, no matter their background, political affiliation, religion, or other characteristic. History itself has many lessons to teach about how we should treat others, and how to go about introducing policy, have compelling debate, and produce the best environment for the country. One thing is for certain - that the way we currently manage things in the political world, with such polarization and lack of compromise, is not the way that the system should work for the people. In times of bipartisanship, these have been the most productive eras of American society, and when the two parties are able to cede just a bit of ground for mutual agreement and the actual effort into improving lives, the American people are the ones that benefit. Instead, in the modern age, politicians have polarized the populace to the point where compromise feels like treason to a party line that seems immovable and unwavering. Compromise must come back is the biggest thing that history is telling us - in some situations, pro- and anti-slavery partisan members cooperated more than politicians today do. If this doesn't say enough about the lack of debate, compromise, and cooperation that we have today, there's not much else to say. Political science itself tells so much about how people think and act in elections, with voter behavior patterns and what to expect in electoral environments. This can be useful for predicting outcomes in order to better understand the climate as a whole, and to see changes in the general opinions of the American people and what they want and need - messaging is important in these scenarios, where it's about meeting the goals and desires of Americans in an electoral environment. While I'm not going on a law path, political science and a general law education can still be greatly impactful on how I'm able to engage with the political environment, and how I'm able to develop a better world and country. We need more debate and deliberation in American politics today, and I'm sorry to hear of the loss of Ryan. I share his goals of having a society where policy is decided on debate and a good compromise, and hope I can bring this to the national stage.

"Love is the one thing that can transcend the dimensions of time and space." Interstellar, and there is no contest. As I've gotten older and watched more movies (I didn't use to be a movie person), I've realized there's basically two kinds of movies - those you think about and follow a very cohesive plot, and without that plot the movie falls flat; and those you feel, that without feeling the emotionality the movie fails its purpose. Similar to Michael, which I just saw in theaters this past Friday, Interstellar is one of the latter. In order to truly understand the movie, you must just allow yourself to feel. To describe the movie in almost any conventional terms would feel like I'd be leaving something out. It's not really a story, more so a tale of humanity in crisis, love under stress, and of promise of a future - a brighter future. A better future. Where love prevails, where there is hope. Only a few events in my life I can point to and say that they changed the way I think or how I see the world itself. It almost feels cliche and cringey to say anything like that, but some things just change the tint of your mind's glasses, and nothing appears quite the same as it once did. Watching Interstellar did that for me, reminding me of the beautiful futility of life and how it all will end - so spend it with those you love. Push for hope and the promise of a better tomorrow, as there might BE no tomorrow. There's almost an entire philosophical feel to it, and ignoring (if that's even possible) Hans Zimmer's immaculate score, the movie flows and feels like it's trying to warn not Cooper of why he shouldn't leave, but us of why we should be by our loved one's sides. Why we should always consider other options, how we control our own destiny in more ways than we think. The beauty of Interstellar isn't even in the way it tells the story of love and loss between Cooper and Murph, Dr. Brand and Dr. Edmunds; it's the way it does this while talking to the viewer, saying "your time is limited, love is something special. Do something with it. Push for a brighter future no matter the cost, and keep those you care about beside you through each and every step." There is no movie truly like Interstellar in how it will change your perspective on life, love, and the world.

I hope, one day, to be a politician. Since the end of summer 2024, I've been interested and invested in political science, electoral science, and elections in general - not only the policy creation side, but the elections themselves. I've actually run a YouTube channel since September 2024 on electoral analysis - and it's a strong passion and big hobby of mine. I love watching elections and looking into how the systems work, and predicting the future. Who *will* win? Who's in the lead, who's gaining, who's falling behind, and why? These questions intrigue me. The likes of Harry Enten, Steve Kornacki, and others really intrigue me, as they're the guys that you see in front of the big screens on election night showing the numbers and watching them come in, county by county, precinct by precinct. Whether I'm on a team, running my channel still as a large organization, or hired by a big company like CNN or MSNBC or Fox, I want to be able to bring my knowledge of elections to others. But this is mostly a hobby. What I really want to do more than anything is help others, and the best way to do that is through our political system. The reach that the government provides - whether local, state, or eventually national - isn't really comparable to what organizations or even large corporations could hope to achieve. So I hope to set off on an endeavor that will help improve the life of everyday Americans, by climbing through state government, then to the House, Senate, and White House, setting an agenda to lower middle- and lower-class taxes, improve healthcare benefits and outcomes, and support our veterans and our troops. I hope to hold these goals and support every American, as I want all of us to live free and true lives. However, in order to do all this, I need an education; and with an education comes costs. I hope to use this scholarship to help cover the high expenses of college, which at Quinnipiac University (where I'm committed), is about $35k a year out of pocket. Without this supplement, my education level may struggle and I might not be able to pursue my dream of educating the public and helping boost public works. This specific scholarship would mean a lot to me, as I do appreciate the service our veterans have provided us, ensuring we are able to live free. I feel deep respect for their sacrifices they make selflessly, constantly remembering those of us at home. I want to, as part of my platform, boost aid to veterans and reduce conflict in any ways necessary to keep our service members safe and at home whenever possible. I'm sorry to hear of Mr. Long's passing, and that I cannot thank him for his service, but will do all in my power to ensure his legacy is honored, whether I win the prize or not.