In the expansion of space, there are billions of galaxies and universes. In my lifetime, I know we won’t even begin to scratch the surface of what’s beyond our world. It’s important, however, that we work endlessly to understand our universe more because, we won’t only discover new things out there, but we will also discover new things within our planet, within ourselves, and in turn, we will become better people as we dream of what we will find amongst the stars. Day after day, astronomers, astronauts, and aerospace engineers work together to travel through the black void we call space. Where people believed it wasn’t possible to leave the Earth's atmosphere, they all made it possible to get to and stand on the moon. As everyone in America and around the world watched man take his first steps on the moon’s dusty surface, they all came together in a state of wonder and childlike curiosity. They wondered: if we can get to the moon, what else can we possibly discover? That day, July 16, at 9:32 a.m. eastern time, everyone in the world was united in the thrill of discovery, the thrill of outer space. We, as humans, feed off of discovery, and learning new things. We discovered fire, mathematics, and physics. It only seems natural to turn our gazes to the sky above us. In order to understand our universe better, I believe we should employ concepts of curiosity and imagination.  What exactly is curiosity? Well, curiosity, to put it simply, is the thirst for knowledge. Everyone, whether they believe it or not, has a thirst for knowledge when it comes to the things they are passionate about. And curiosity is a must when it comes to understanding something as complex as outer space. What about imagination? Well, imagination is the creative ability of the mind. This ability helps the mind form mental images, concepts, and ideas. What do many of the greatest inventions and philosophies have in common? They all started as ideas in their creators’ heads, and these ideas came from their imaginations. The universe is a big, big world, and it’ll take people with big, big imaginations to begin understanding it.  As the days go by, and we all grow up, the galaxy around us will grow with us. Our knowledge of the universe will always change, and so will our knowledge of us as a species, but that will bring us closer as a community, and motivate us to continue being curious and imaginative.

In the late 1900s, the world made one of the greatest inventions of all time. When at one period in time, you could only connect with people through face-to-face conversations, Vinton Cerf created a way for people to communicate through their computers in the form of the internet. Why is this so important, however? Because it opens up a world of possibilities for billions of people around the world.  Over the years, as the internet grew and grew, so did the amount of knowledge you could find on it. From languages to mathematics to psychology, anything that anyone wished to learn could be found on the internet. This made it easy for those who couldn’t easily get an education to get the skills and knowledge that they desired in a new, innovative way.  It also made us as a people closer. Now, instead of only talking to those in their town a person could have meaningful conversations with people hundreds, if not thousands of miles away. Everyone could share stories about their cultures, beliefs, and dreams, sharing them with the world. One of those stories could inspire another, or make them feel a little less lonely in this big world of ours, and that in itself is a really beautiful thing. Ideas of all kinds, creativity that knows no limits, and ways to improve everyone's lives as a community, came from the internet. The internet created an environment that helps and gives people the resources and reassurance that they need to believe that they can achieve their dreams and be great, and one day I hope that something I say and put on the internet can do the same for someone like me.

Adversity. Noun. The state of continued difficulty or misfortune in someone’s life. Everyone faces adversity multiple times in life, and ambition is the only thing that can overcome adversity. Ambition. Noun: strong desire and determination to achieve success. Ambition is something that may not come easy, but once you find that feeling, nothing will be able to stop you from becoming a better you. I’ve faced adversity more than once, and with my ambition, I overcame those adversities and became a better me. When I was younger, when I started intermediate school, I entered myself in my school spelling bee contest. It was open to 5th and 6th graders alike, and I thought it would be a fun experience. There were, however, two problems I faced. One is the long, long list of long, long words. Two, the knowledge that the contest would take place on our school’s stage, with hundreds of eyes on me as I spoke into an a-little-too-tall-for-me microphone. Two problems in 5th grade me’s eyes, two adversities. I was terribly nervous as I stared down at the strange-looking words on the front and back of the page I received, but my parents only smiled down at me in reassurance. They told me I shouldn’t be nervous, that I was smart, and all I needed to do was practice. With only a few weeks to prepare, I began practicing right away. With every memory card I made and every practice spelling bee I had with my brothers and parents, I could only think of one thing: I really, really wanted to win. Through my determination, I pushed through each practice and every day. Then, it finally came: the day of the spelling bee contest. I was in a cold sweat, fiddling with my fingers and tapping my foot, waiting for the principal to come over the intercom and call all of the spelling bee participants down. In the blink of an eye, I was standing among over 50 other kids in three rows. My eyes followed the people in front of me as they walked to the microphone, spelled their words, and got back in line. Then it was my turn. It felt like slow motion as I made my way to the microphone. I stood on my tiptoes as the judge told me my word. I licked my lips. I knew this word. I said the word into the microphone, then slowly spelled it, then repeated the word. I waited, and, in my mind, I repeated my mantra: You got this, you got this, you got this. “That is...” the judge drawled. “Correct!” I let out a sigh of relief and smiled as I walked back to my spot in line. Over and over, I walked to the microphone. And over and over, I repeated my mantra, ‘You got this.’ I was determined to get far in the competition. Though I didn’t win, I was runner-up and couldn’t have been prouder of myself. This experience has shaped me into a stronger person because now that I know how to face adversity, I have to have ambition. If anyone is facing adversity, they should know that everyone goes through it at least once in their lifetime, and if they want to come out of that adversity successfully, they must be ambitious and strive to do their best.

When people watch a movie or a TV show, what character tends to be their favorite? I think it depends on how much that person can relate to the character on screen, which is why my favorite Spider-Man actor is Shameik Moore, the voice actor of Miles Morales in both Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse and Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse. Sitting in the movie theater and watching a movie about a Spider-Man who’s a person of color was such an exhilarating experience. I’d never heard of the African American/Puerto Rican superhero before, but upon watching the trailer for the first movie, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse, my interest was instantly piqued. I remember the first time I watched the first and second movies in theaters. I was so in love with the art style, the story, and the characters. Shameik Moore did an amazing job voice-acting Miles. He completely captured the awkward teen that Miles is and, with the help of the animation team, brought the character to life. Having a character you can connect with in a movie is, in my opinion, such a prideful feeling. Knowing you and people like you are being seen and represented in a production that thousands—millions—have watched and enjoyed.  There are no words to describe the feeling of happiness I felt when I saw Miles Morales on that screen and when I heard Shameik Moore’s voice through that screen. I can’t wait for the third movie because I know it will be greater than its predecessors.

When I was younger, I never truly got into video games like my brothers and other kids my age. I was more of a bookworm, encapsulating myself in my overactive imagination while reading the words on the page. I would watch uninterestedly as my brother would play Pokémon and Super Mario Bros. Years would go by, and I would grow up watching my brothers play their games together from the sidelines. It wasn't until a few years ago that I understood the magic of Nintendo and why it had such an impact on people around the world. My family went to visit relatives in Georgia, and while we were there, my brothers brought their Nintendo Switch console and a few games. We visited my uncle, and he and my brothers decided they wanted to play Super Smash Bros. I wasn't particularly interested, but after begging and insisting that I play, I relented and picked up a controller. I remember the character I picked: a skeletal, purple-skinned creature named Ripley. My brothers, being the experts they were, went through their characters' combos with awe-inducing speed and knowledge. On the other hand, me and my uncle mashed at the buttons furiously, causing our characters to move around sporadically. I have to admit, it was very fun. After a few games, I started getting the hang of Ripley, and, in a stroke of luck, I won a game against my uncle and my game-addicted brothers. I remember how happy I was and how I pumped my fist excitedly. After that gaming session, I changed my tune about the world of video games. I now understand why Nintendo has the effect it does on its fans, and I can't wait to play more and beat my brothers again.

As time goes by and days turn into months and months turn into years, technology evolves with the world around it. As technology evolves, people need to evolve with it, which leads me to the path that I wish to pursue: computer science. From helping grow the AI of the future to protecting the internet from hackers, the study of computer science is very popular in today’s society. Many 2000s kids, including myself, have grown up around technology, and, as if it were our brother or sister, we have watched it grow up with us. There is so much you could do with a degree in computer science: you could become a web developer, a systems analyst, or even a gaming programmer. As a child, creating something always piqued my interest, and I found myself doing it often. Watching Big Hero 6 and Avengers: Iron Man, I found myself falling in love with the creation side of technology as well as developing a story and its characters. Being on the younger side, I first started with creating stories and characters (which I still love to do in my free time nowadays), and later on in life, I shifted my attention to coding. ‘Wow,’ I thought when I went to my first coding class with my mom, ‘how cool’. Then, a few years later, in middle school, I took another, more serious, coding class. In that middle school class, we spent the time learning some batch files, Python, and a little C#. Despite it being during COVID, I was still completely enamored by the programming functions my teacher taught me. I was in awe at how a few words and numbers could prompt a computer to do what I wanted. I love learning new things, and in the computer science industry, you have to keep learning. Even when the coding gets a little confusing, it’s still fun and exciting for me. Especially when I figure out the problem and get my code to work. It's like a puzzle or a riddle; they can be challenging to finish, but once you do, there’s a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of success. Like art, each programming language is beautiful in its own unique way. Like a brush on a canvas, the different styles create different commands and functions, all so you can make a computer program do something truly amazing. The people who inspire me most are those who use technology to protect people, like white-hat hackers or soldiers in the military fighting off cyberattacks. It’s amazing how, in an ever-changing world with so many new coding functions and malware attacks, these people can keep up just to protect the ones they care about. It inspires me to do the same—to challenge myself and work really hard for what I’m passionate about. Working to meet the goals I set for myself, succeeding in meeting those goals, and knowing I put in all the work is the greatest reward I could ever ask for in the end.