If I could change anything in the world, I would find a cure for cancer. When I came back from overnight camp during the summer before seventh grade, my parents had horrible news. My 46-year-old Aunt Melissa had brain and lung cancer. This was my first experience having someone close to me diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I was devastated, particularly because her daughter was my age. Since that time, I have been committed to raising money for cancer research and patient support. Shortly after my aunt’s diagnosis, I dedicated my bar mitzvah project to her. I held bake sales at different events in my community to raise money for the cancer center where she was being treated. Unfortunately, a year-and-a-half later, Aunt Melissa passed away. This motivated me to fight cancer so other families would not have to suffer the same tragedy as mine. When I started high school, I quickly found an organization that had a similar goal: Four Diamonds/Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research at Hershey Medical Center. I became a member of the fundraising team and was the top fundraiser for three years in a row. During my sophomore year, I became the chair. Because raising money was exceptionally difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found new ways to fundraise online, so our team could still have a positive impact while being safe from the virus. I continue to lead Mini-Thon and hope that this year will be our most successful due to our ability to have in-person fundraisers because of fewer restrictions. During my junior year, I became a student director for my school’s participation in the national Pink Out campaign, which raises money to support breast cancer patients. This position meant serving as a bridge between the adults who planned the fundraising efforts and the students who carried them out. During my first year, we raised $4,000, which was a large increase from fundraising numbers during the height of the pandemic. This money went to local organizations that provided financial assistance for medical bills, living expenses, and transportation costs. I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

If I could change anything in the world, I would find a cure for cancer. When I came back from overnight camp during the summer before seventh grade, my parents had horrible news. My 46-year-old Aunt Melissa had brain and lung cancer. This was my first experience having someone close to me diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I was devastated, particularly because her daughter was my age. Since that time, I have been committed to raising money for cancer research and patient support. Shortly after my aunt’s diagnosis, I dedicated my bar mitzvah project to her. I held bake sales at different events in my community to raise money for the cancer center where she was being treated. Unfortunately, a year-and-a-half later, Aunt Melissa passed away. This motivated me to fight cancer so other families would not have to suffer the same tragedy as mine. When I started high school, I quickly found an organization that had a similar goal: Four Diamonds/Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research at Hershey Medical Center. I became a member of the fundraising team and was the top fundraiser for three years in a row. During my sophomore year, I became the chair. Because raising money was exceptionally difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found new ways to fundraise online, so our team could still have a positive impact while being safe from the virus. I continue to lead Mini-Thon and hope that this year will be our most successful due to our ability to have in-person fundraisers because of fewer restrictions. During my junior year, I became a student director for my school’s participation in the national Pink Out campaign, which raises money to support breast cancer patients. This position meant serving as a bridge between the adults who planned the fundraising efforts and the students who carried them out. During my first year, we raised $4,000, which was a large increase from fundraising numbers during the height of the pandemic. This money went to local organizations that provided financial assistance for medical bills, living expenses, and transportation costs. I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

On the first day of eighth grade, I waited in a large, empty classroom for Geometry class to begin. I had learned math with the grade above mine all throughout middle school and always wondered what would happen once my older classmates moved on to high school. The answer was now obvious: I would be the only student in this class, all alone with a famously difficult teacher. Yet this solo class ignited my passion for geometry and math in general. Having individual instruction and the ability to apply math in interesting ways made math not just something I was naturally good at, but something I genuinely enjoyed. I was able to receive direct feedback, work at my own pace, and complete complex assignments that I would not have had in a regular class. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to study math in college. When I started high school, I wanted to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our school district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to a disappointing all-time low. Because my own passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. After addressing my principal’s legitimate concern about high schoolers leaving school early even for a worthwhile cause, I received her enthusiastic approval. In addition to starting the program during my junior year, I directly tutored six English- and Spanish-speaking students who had been underperforming in math. This challenged me to use not only my math skills, but also my knowledge of the Spanish language. I love this project and am very proud that the students’ test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Based on our success, I was enlisted to establish a Math Honor Society at my high school this year to recognize and support my peers. I was also honored to be recruited by The College Board to serve as an SAT Math Bootcamp Tutor last spring. I had worked hard to earn an 800 on the math section of the SAT when I took the test myself, but I did not expect to be asked to tutor my peers. Through this online program offered by Khan Academy, I tutored ten fellow high-achieving high school students who wanted to maximize their own scores. As one might guess, I look forward to studying math in college next year. My ultimate goal is to explore the intersection of statistics and other areas of interest, such as public policy, economics, philanthropy, and health care. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship program so I can continue developing as a student, leader, and citizen.

When I came back from overnight camp during the summer before seventh grade, my parents had horrible news: my 46-year-old Aunt Melissa had been diagnosed with terminal brain and lung cancer. After she died, I committed myself to join the fight against cancer. As a result, other than academics, I have spent the most time over the past year raising money for cancer research and patient support. When I entered high school, I immediately joined Four Diamonds/Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research at Hershey Medical Center. I am proud to have been the top fundraiser for three years straight, raising an individual total of $2,460. I have served as the chair of Mini-Thon since my sophomore year. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I led my classmates to find new ways to raise money, so we could still have a positive impact while being safe from the virus. For example, we solicited donations through the website DonorDrive and worked with local restaurants to share the proceeds from take-out nights. Although we were allowed to hold some in-person fundraisers during my junior year, the big dance marathon that is traditionally the focus of Mini-Thon still could not be held. In its place, we organized a “Student vs. Faculty” basketball game, in which members of our school community voted through donations for students to play against a team of teachers. The faculty team dominated the court in a resounding 51-24 victory, but we raised nearly $1,000, exceeding our goal. As a result, we have added the game as an annual event. Also during my junior year, as part of my work with my school district’s alumni association, I became a student director for the national Pink Out campaign, which raises money to support breast cancer patients. This position meant serving as a bridge between the adults who planned the fundraising efforts and the students who carried them out. We raised $4,000, which was a large increase from fundraising numbers during the previous year. This money went to local organizations that provided financial assistance for medical bills, living expenses, and transportation costs. The experience of raising money during these challenging times taught me valuable lessons about leadership. Leaders have to be flexible and creative in order to accomplish a goal when circumstances change. They also have to be able to inspire the other members of the team to make the best of a difficult situation. Finally, they have to show confidence that everything will work out in the end, even if they aren’t totally certain that will happen, so that everyone else will believe that and make it a reality. During my senior year, Mini-Thon and Pink Out will build on the record fundraising results that our teams have set in recent years. However, my own efforts won’t end with high school. I am determined to apply and grow my leadership skills to fight cancer in Aunt Melissa’s memory in college and beyond.

If I could change anything in the world, I would find a cure for cancer. When I came back from overnight camp during the summer before seventh grade, my parents had horrible news. My 46-year-old Aunt Melissa had brain and lung cancer. This was my first experience having someone close to me diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I was devastated, particularly because her daughter (my favorite cousin) was my age. I questioned why this had happened and why cancer was becoming more common in younger people. Even more significantly, I wondered why there wasn’t a cure. Since that time, I have been committed to raising money for cancer research and patient support. Shortly after my aunt’s diagnosis, I held bake sales at different events in my community to raise money for the cancer center where she was being treated. Unfortunately, a year-and-a-half later, Aunt Melissa passed away. This motivated me to fight cancer so other families would not have to suffer the same tragedy as mine. When I started high school, I quickly found an organization that had a similar goal: Four Diamonds/Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research at Hershey Medical Center. I became a member of the fundraising team and was the top fundraiser for three years in a row. During my sophomore year, I became the chair of Mini-Thon. Because raising money was exceptionally difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found new ways to fundraise online, so our team could still have a positive impact while being safe from the virus. I continue to lead Mini-Thon and hope that this year will be our most successful due to our ability to have in-person fundraisers because of fewer restrictions. During my junior year, I became a student director for my school’s participation in the national Pink Out campaign, which raises money to support breast cancer patients. This position, which grew out of my service on my school district’s alumni association board, meant serving as a bridge between the adults who planned the fundraising efforts and the students who carried them out. During my first year, we raised $4,000, which was a large increase from fundraising numbers during the height of the pandemic. This money went to local organizations that provided financial assistance for medical bills, living expenses, and transportation costs. I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

If I could change anything in the world, I would find a cure for cancer. When I came back from overnight camp during the summer before seventh grade, my parents had horrible news. My 46-year-old Aunt Melissa had brain and lung cancer. This was my first experience having someone close to me diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I was devastated, particularly because her daughter was my age. Since that time, I have been committed to raising money for cancer research and patient support. Shortly after my aunt’s diagnosis, I dedicated my bar mitzvah project to her. I held bake sales at different events in my community to raise money for the cancer center where she was being treated. Unfortunately, a year-and-a-half later, Aunt Melissa passed away. This motivated me to fight cancer so other families would not have to suffer the same tragedy as mine. When I started high school, I quickly found an organization that had a similar goal: Four Diamonds/Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research at Hershey Medical Center. I became a member of the fundraising team and was the top fundraiser for three years in a row. During my sophomore year, I became the chair. Because raising money was exceptionally difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found new ways to fundraise online, so our team could still have a positive impact while being safe from the virus. I continue to lead Mini-Thon and hope that this year will be our most successful due to our ability to have in-person fundraisers because of fewer restrictions. During my junior year, I became a student director for my school’s participation in the national Pink Out campaign, which raises money to support breast cancer patients. This position meant serving as a bridge between the adults who planned the fundraising efforts and the students who carried them out. During my first year, we raised $4,000, which was a large increase from fundraising numbers during the height of the pandemic. This money went to local organizations that provided financial assistance for medical bills, living expenses, and transportation costs. I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. I plan to major in Mathematics/Statistics in college. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

After the twelve-hour plane ride from Tel Aviv to Newark, I craved one thing: bacon. Not surprisingly, this salty pork treat had been missing from my three-week youth tour of Israel. I quickly found a Starbucks in the terminal, bought a Double-Smoked Bacon, Cheddar, and Egg Sandwich, and devoured it while the other Jewish teens were still placing their orders. Because we had just come from the easiest place in the world to keep kosher, my friends looked puzzled by my “unorthodox” decision. But by then, I had already decided to practice my religion on my own terms. Instead of strictly following rules set thousands of years ago, I would focus on practicing tikkun olam (“repair of the world”) today. Before I was even born, my parents had decided that our family would not eat pork (for some reason, pepperoni pizza doesn't count). It’s probably not a coincidence that the first things taught in Jewish preschool are the dietary laws and the part of the Ten Commandments instructing children to “honor thy father and mother.” As a result, I followed a no-pork policy for fourteen years. I attended Hebrew School and a Jewish summer camp and was nicknamed “Little Rabbi” long before my bar mitzvah. But my kosher streak ended at Hersheypark. I wanted a hamburger for lunch, and the only one on the menu was the BLT Burger. Although I planned to remove the forbidden meat, I tried a bite first to see what all the fuss was about. To my surprise, the extra topping was delicious. Other than discovering a new favorite food, nothing else happened. No Burning Bush yelled at me, the Susquehanna River didn’t turn into blood, and I wasn’t condemned to wander Central Pennsylvania for forty years. Most importantly, I didn’t feel like any less of a Jew. Ultimately, even my parents realized that the “B” in the BLT Burger was less about “bacon” than about “becoming” an independent person. I had always thought that blindly following our traditions was the best way to honor my parents, but I learned that thinking for myself and advocating respectfully for my beliefs was even better. By the time I started high school, this approach led to a desire to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to an all-time low. Because my passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. I received my principal's enthusiastic approval. I love leading this project and am very proud that test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Although eating a small piece of food that was supposed to be off limits didn't change my Jewish identity, it did set me on a path toward greater independence. I know that I will have to continue to be a leader rather than a follower, challenge assumptions, and respect all reasonable points of view even as I champion my own. I look forward to doing these things as I move to the next level both in terms of my math studies and community service, all while honoring my heritage in my own way. So even though I will be very involved with Hillel in college, you will also find me enjoying my BLT Burger in the dining hall.

On the first day of eighth grade, I waited in a large, empty classroom for Geometry class to begin. I had learned math with the grade above mine all throughout middle school and always wondered what would happen once my older classmates moved on to high school. The answer was now obvious: I would be the only student in this class, all alone with a famously difficult teacher. Yet this solo class ignited my passion for geometry and math in general. Having individual instruction and the ability to apply math in interesting ways made math not just something I was naturally good at, but something I genuinely enjoyed. I was able to receive direct feedback, work at my own pace, and complete complex assignments that I would not have had in a regular class. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to study math in college. When I started high school, I wanted to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our school district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to a disappointing all-time low. Because my own passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. After addressing my principal’s legitimate concern about high schoolers leaving school early even for a worthwhile cause, I received her enthusiastic approval. In addition to starting the program during my junior year, I directly tutored six English- and Spanish-speaking students who had been underperforming in math. This challenged me to use not only my math skills, but also my knowledge of the Spanish language. I love this project and am very proud that the students’ test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Based on our success, I was enlisted to establish a Math Honor Society at my high school this year to recognize and support my peers. I was also honored to be recruited by The College Board to serve as an SAT Math Bootcamp Tutor last spring. I had worked hard to earn an 800 on the math section of the SAT when I took the test myself, but I did not expect to be asked to tutor my peers. Through this online program offered by Khan Academy, I tutored ten fellow high-achieving high school students who wanted to maximize their own scores. Similar to tutoring students in math, I helped families with their taxes last spring. Specifically, I prepared federal income tax returns for 25 senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and low-income families. This was through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, which is a program sponsored by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and run by Widener University Commonwealth Law School. I enjoyed being able to assist the most vulnerable members of our community in meeting their legal obligations to file their tax returns with the federal government. As one might guess, I look forward to studying math in college next year. My ultimate goal is to explore the intersection of statistics and other areas of interest, such as public policy, economics, philanthropy, and health care. Thank you for considering me for this scholarship program so I can continue developing as a student, leader, and citizen.

On the first day of eighth grade, I waited in a large, empty classroom for Geometry class to begin. I had learned math with the grade above mine all throughout middle school and always wondered what would happen once my older classmates moved on to high school. The answer was now obvious: I would be the only student in this class, all alone with a famously difficult teacher. Yet this solo class ignited my passion for geometry and math in general. Having individual instruction and the ability to apply math in interesting ways made math not just something I was naturally good at, but something I genuinely enjoyed. I was able to receive direct feedback, work at my own pace, and complete complex assignments that I would not have had in a regular class. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to study math in college. When I started high school, I wanted to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our school district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to a disappointing all-time low. Because my own passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. After addressing my principal’s legitimate concern about high schoolers leaving school early even for a worthwhile cause, I received her enthusiastic approval. I love leading this project and am very proud that test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Based on our success, I was enlisted to establish a Math Honor Society this year to recognize and support my peers. I look forward to studying statistics next year. My ultimate goal is to explore the intersection of statistics and other areas of interest, such as public policy, economics, philanthropy, and health care. For example, I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease in honor of my Aunt Melissa, who died at a young age of lung and brain cancer. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

If I could change anything in the world, I would find a cure for cancer. When I came back from overnight camp during the summer before seventh grade, my parents had horrible news. My 46-year-old Aunt Melissa had brain and lung cancer. This was my first experience having someone close to me diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I was devastated, particularly because her daughter (my favorite cousin) was my age. I questioned why this had happened and why cancer was becoming more common in younger people. Even more significantly, I wondered why there wasn’t a cure. Since that time, I have been committed to raising money for cancer research and patient support. Shortly after my aunt’s diagnosis, I dedicated my bar mitzvah project to her. I held bake sales at different events in my community to raise money for the cancer center where she was being treated. Unfortunately, a year-and-a-half later, Aunt Melissa passed away. This motivated me to fight cancer so other families would not have to suffer the same tragedy as mine. When I started high school, I quickly found an organization that had a similar goal: Four Diamonds/Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research at Hershey Medical Center. I became a member of the fundraising team and was the top fundraiser for three years in a row. During my sophomore year, I became the chair of Mini-Thon. Because raising money was exceptionally difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found new ways to fundraise online, so our team could still have a positive impact while being safe from the virus. I continue to lead Mini-Thon and hope that this year will be our most successful due to our ability to have in-person fundraisers because of fewer restrictions. During my junior year, I became a student director for my school’s participation in the national Pink Out campaign, which raises money to support breast cancer patients. This position, which grew out of my service on my school district’s alumni association board, meant serving as a bridge between the adults who planned the fundraising efforts and the students who carried them out. During my first year, we raised $4,000, which was a large increase from fundraising numbers during the height of the pandemic. This money went to local organizations that provided financial assistance for medical bills, living expenses, and transportation costs. I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

Community service is a priority of mine. I grew up watching my parents work hard not just in their full-time jobs, but also in their service to our community during their supposedly “free time.” They took my younger brother and me along, put us to work, and made sure that we understood that it is important to give back. For example, my father would take us to projects such as painting homes and schools in underprivileged areas of our city and running a food drive for the local food pantry. My mother would include us in the many projects she led in our school district. I knew that there would come a time when I would have to take responsibility for finding my own ways to serve, using my own talents and based on my own interests. Surprisingly, my own community service would match up with my favorite subject in school and would support my future professional goals. On the first day of eighth grade, I waited in a large, empty classroom for Geometry class to begin. I had learned math with the grade above mine all throughout middle school and always wondered what would happen once my older classmates moved on to high school. The answer was now obvious: I would be the only student in this class, all alone with a famously difficult teacher. Yet this solo class ignited my passion for geometry and math in general. Having individual instruction and the ability to apply math in interesting ways made math both something I was naturally good at and something I genuinely enjoyed. I was able to receive direct feedback, work at my own pace, and complete complex and fascinating assignments that I would not have had in a regular class. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to study math in college. When I started high school, I wanted to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to a disappointing all-time low. Because my own passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. After addressing my principal’s legitimate concern about high schoolers leaving school early even for a worthwhile cause, I received her enthusiastic approval. I love leading this project and am very proud that test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Based on our success, I was enlisted to establish a Math Honor Society this year to recognize and support my peers. I look forward to studying statistics next year in college. My ultimate goal is to explore the intersection of statistics and other areas of interest, such as public policy, economics, philanthropy, and health care. But whatever my full-time job ends up being, I know that I will also devote time to using my skills and resources to help my community.

Community service is a priority of mine. I grew up watching my parents work hard not just in their full-time jobs, but also in their service to our community during their supposedly “free time.” They took my younger brother and me along, put us to work, and made sure that we understood that it is important to give back. For example, my father would take us to projects such as painting homes and schools in underprivileged areas of our city and running a food drive for the local food pantry. My mother would include us in the many projects she led in our school district. I knew that there would come a time when I would have to take responsibility for finding my own ways to serve, using my own talents and based on my own interests. Surprisingly, my own community service would match up with my favorite subject in school and would support my future professional goals. On the first day of eighth grade, I waited in a large, empty classroom for Geometry class to begin. I had learned math with the grade above mine all throughout middle school and always wondered what would happen once my older classmates moved on to high school. The answer was now obvious: I would be the only student in this class, all alone with a famously difficult teacher. Yet this solo class ignited my passion for geometry and math in general. Having individual instruction and the ability to apply math in interesting ways made math both something I was naturally good at and something I genuinely enjoyed. I was able to receive direct feedback, work at my own pace, and complete complex and fascinating assignments that I would not have had in a regular class. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to study math in college. When I started high school, I wanted to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to a disappointing all-time low. Because my own passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. After addressing my principal’s legitimate concern about high schoolers leaving school early even for a worthwhile cause, I received her enthusiastic approval. I love leading this project and am very proud that test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Based on our success, I was enlisted to establish a Math Honor Society this year to recognize and support my peers. I look forward to studying statistics next year in college. My ultimate goal is to explore the intersection of statistics and other areas of interest, such as public policy, economics, philanthropy, and health care. But whatever my full-time job ends up being, I know that I will also devote time to using my skills and resources to help my community.

On the first day of eighth grade, I waited in a large, empty classroom for Geometry class to begin. I had learned math with the grade above mine all throughout middle school and always wondered what would happen once my older classmates moved on to high school. The answer was now obvious: I would be the only student in this class, all alone with a famously difficult teacher. Yet this solo class ignited my passion for geometry and math in general. Having individual instruction and the ability to apply math in interesting ways made math not just something I was naturally good at, but something I genuinely enjoyed. I was able to receive direct feedback, work at my own pace, and complete complex assignments that I would not have had in a regular class. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to study math in college. When I started high school, I wanted to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our school district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to a disappointing all-time low. Because my own passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. After addressing my principal’s legitimate concern about high schoolers leaving school early even for a worthwhile cause, I received her enthusiastic approval. I love leading this project and am very proud that test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Based on our success, I was enlisted to establish a Math Honor Society this year to recognize and support my peers. I look forward to studying statistics next year. My ultimate goal is to explore the intersection of statistics and other areas of interest, such as public policy, economics, philanthropy, and health care. For example, I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease in honor of my Aunt Melissa, who died at a young age of lung and brain cancer. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

If I could change anything in the world, I would find a cure for cancer. When I came back from overnight camp during the summer before seventh grade, my parents had horrible news. My 46-year-old Aunt Melissa had brain and lung cancer. This was my first experience having someone close to me diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. I was devastated, particularly because her daughter (my favorite cousin) was my age. I questioned why this had happened and why cancer was becoming more common in younger people. Even more significantly, I wondered why there wasn’t a cure. Since that time, I have been committed to raising money for cancer research and patient support. Shortly after my aunt’s diagnosis, I dedicated my bar mitzvah project to her. I held bake sales at different events in my community to raise money for the cancer center where she was being treated. Unfortunately, a year-and-a-half later, Aunt Melissa passed away. This motivated me to fight cancer so other families would not have to suffer the same tragedy as mine. When I started high school, I quickly found an organization that had a similar goal: Four Diamonds/Mini-Thon, which raises money for pediatric cancer research at Hershey Medical Center. I became a member of the fundraising team and was the top fundraiser for three years in a row. During my sophomore year, I became the chair of Mini-Thon. Because raising money was exceptionally difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic, I found new ways to fundraise online, so our team could still have a positive impact while being safe from the virus. I continue to lead Mini-Thon and hope that this year will be our most successful due to our ability to have in-person fundraisers because of fewer restrictions. During my junior year, I became a student director for my school’s participation in the national Pink Out campaign, which raises money to support breast cancer patients. This position, which grew out of my service on my school district’s alumni association board, meant serving as a bridge between the adults who planned the fundraising efforts and the students who carried them out. During my first year, we raised $4,000, which was a large increase from fundraising numbers during the height of the pandemic. This money went to local organizations that provided financial assistance for medical bills, living expenses, and transportation costs. I know it sounds cliché to want to “cure cancer,” but every big idea needs a variety of people doing the hard work to execute it. We are fortunate to live in a world where medical advances occur regularly, but achieving them costs a tremendous amount of money. For this reason, I have embarked on a lifelong journey to help raise funds to combat this terrible disease. Although I do not want to be a doctor, I can still contribute to cancer research through my profession. As a statistician, I would be able to interpret and analyze data to help doctors make informed decisions and be more efficient with their limited time and financial resources. Although finding a cure for cancer is a lofty goal, if I had the opportunity to change one thing in the world, that is the obvious choice.

On the first day of eighth grade, I waited in a large, empty classroom for Geometry class to begin. I had learned math with the grade above mine all throughout middle school and always wondered what would happen once my older classmates moved on to high school. The answer was now obvious: I would be the only student in this class, all alone with a famously difficult teacher. Yet this solo class ignited my passion for geometry and math in general. Having individual instruction and the ability to apply math in interesting ways made math not just something I was naturally good at, but something I genuinely enjoyed. I was able to receive direct feedback, work at my own pace, and complete complex assignments that I would not have had in a regular class. Ever since, I knew that I wanted to study math in college. When I started high school, I wanted to play an active role in improving my community. I spoke at school board meetings about proposed policy changes, sought and received appointments as a student representative to the district’s alumni association and its education foundation, and ran successful elections for class officer. Through this work, I learned that our district’s standardized test scores in math had plummeted to an all-time low. Because my own passion for the subject had started at an early age, I proposed having high school students tutor struggling elementary school students. After addressing my principal’s legitimate concern about high schoolers leaving school early even for a worthwhile cause, I received her enthusiastic approval. I love leading this project and am very proud that test scores started to increase after only a few weeks. Based on our success, I was enlisted to establish a Math Honor Society this year to recognize and support my peers. I look forward to studying statistics next year. My ultimate goal is to explore the intersection of statistics and other areas of interest, such as public policy, economics, philanthropy, and health care.