My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions: just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. I was able to spend last summer volunteering for the Brindlee Mountain Recreation Softball League for young girls. I volunteered as an assistant coach and completed well over 40 - 50 hours of service last summer. My most significant take away is while those girls enjoyed playing ball, they more often than not just wanted to have fun and play like children and for us "adults" to let them just have fun. I also learned a valuable lesson that boys are not like girls and they do not like to get hurt, fall in the dirt or be away from their parents which was always different from my experience playing on a recreation league with my friends when I was their age. I really believe that having a helping attitude goes far in life and will not only have people smile and like you but kindness if always appreciated and I, for one; would prefer everyone be kind to me. The old adage "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar" holds true today more than ever before. So, hold that door open, help the elderly, offer to help or even just smile at a stranger. Today's world is kind of scary with all the politics and virus scares happening so, I think being kind and helping others will go a long way to healing our society. Thank you for your consideration. Braxton Childress (future Engineering student)

The definition of "creativity" basically means the use of the imagination or original ideas. I will be quite honest, I do not adhere to the general rules of creativity with art or writing even but I love to use my imagination to imagine calculus scenarios or math problems that might be too hard for others and then explain them in a way that someone could understand. Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

Active listening and actually hearing what the other person is trying to not only explain to you but also their feelings about that subject can be awe inspiring. Honestly sometimes a kind smile or listening ear goes a long way toward building someone's confidence level around any subject or duty. My younger brother is on the spectrum with Autism and has a hyper activity disorder so mentoring him means just being in his space while he tells me all about a game or book he is working on whereas my oldest brother has severe anxiety that makes it hard for him to even leave the house so just chatting video games with him helps to ease his anxiety a bit and give him the confidence to get in his car and ultimately to his job. I hope that everyone can impact another and be able to mentor those they love. Thank you!

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has to be the most inspiring book I have ever read and studied up to this date. The entire premise is based on a scientist who created a life and then was horrified by what he created. One of my favorite sayings is this "just because you can does not me you should" by another favorite author of mine; Sherrilyn Kenyon. In today's time of a deadly pandemic fraught with viruses, the premise behind Frankenstein can totally be felt. Consider this; the same science and technology that are amazing and create so many amazing things such as electricity, mobiles, cell phones can also create a dangerous and negative things too! While reading this book it is clear that the scientist believe they are being revolutionaries when in fact they are being neglectful and ignorant. The short answer to the inspiration of Frankenstein is that bad things can and will happen and that humans are very capable of accomplishing awesome things and then ignoring them.

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Albert Einstein is the person in which holds all of my admiration. It wasn't his sheer intellect that inspired me but it was his drive and his methods of achieving the things that he did despite his deficiencies. He was so geared toward reaching his goals that every night he would put a metal plate on the floor beside his bed and as he slept he would hold a metal spoon. Right as he would start to lose consciousness his hand would loosen the grip that he had on the spoon causing it to fall and hit the plate to wake him up. The reason why he did this is because when the human body starts to lose consciousness is when the brain has the most vivid ideas. He wasn't considered a genius just because he was blessed with genetics. He was a genius because he strived to be. For a man like himself to have not only autism but also to have really bad memory really conveys a message that anything can be achieved as long as you put in effort. Einstein in my own opinion is an extremely creative being and it inspires me to work harder to achieve things rather than leaving everything up to luck or saying that I can't do something. He understood this principle well. I would be lying if I said that what he accomplished was what I admire most. What I admire him most for is what he did not accomplish. He never finished the Theory of Everything but he worked on it for over thirty years. This is extreme dedication and it is exactly why this man means everything to me. He is the most admirable person to exist.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

The best way that I can think of to start this essay is that Nature by its very definition is the underlying reasoning for our economy, our society, and our very existence. Just think about it; our forest, rivers, oceans, and soil provide us with food, air, and water. If you truly give it quite a bit of thought nature is something we all rely on for so much more and even depend on it for our health, happiness and prosperity. Did you know that being outside in nature increases pleasant feelings but more than that it can contribute to your overall health by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and just basically reduces stress! With all the above being stated, I guess I love just going on hikes.. Our family loves to get out in nature and the last time we went to a beautiful nature preserve in Cullman County, Alabama and hiked to a gorgeous water fall but behind that was this huge rock formation that you could only get to by crossing the waterfall so my younger brother and I found a shallow spot of water to cross. We then climbed to the top of that formation where we felt alive and on top of the world. It was an amazing day and one that I will not forget. Thank you for your consideration. Braxton Childress

My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

Albert Einstein is the person in which holds all of my admiration. It wasn't his sheer intellect that inspired me but it was his drive and his methods of achieving the things that he did despite his deficiencies. He was so geared toward reaching his goals that every night he would put a metal plate on the floor beside his bed and as he slept he would hold a metal spoon. Right as he would start to lose consciousness his hand would loosen the grip that he had on the spoon causing it to fall and hit the plate to wake him up. The reason why he did this is because when the human body starts to lose consciousness is when the brain has the most vivid ideas. He wasn't considered a genius just because he was blessed with genetics. He was a genius because he strived to be. For a man like himself to have not only autism but also to have really bad memory really conveys a message that anything can be achieved as long as you put in effort. Einstein in my own opinion is an extremely creative being and it inspires me to work harder to achieve things rather than leaving everything up to luck or saying that I can't do something. He understood this principle well. I would be lying if I said that what he accomplished was what I admire most. What I admire him most for is what he did not accomplish. He never finished the Theory of Everything but he worked on it for over thirty years. This is extreme dedication and it is exactly why this man means everything to me. He is the most admirable person to exist.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has to be the most inspiring book I have ever read and studied up to this date. The entire premise is based on a scientist who created a life and then was horrified by what he created. One of my favorite sayings is this "just because you can does not me you should" by another favorite author of mine; Sherrilyn Kenyon. In today's time of a deadly pandemic fraught with viruses, the premise behind Frankenstein can totally be felt. Consider this; the same science and technology that are amazing and create so many amazing things such as electricity, mobiles, cell phones can also create a dangerous and negative things too! While reading this book it is clear that the scientist believe they are being revolutionaries when in fact they are being neglectful and ignorant. The short answer to the inspiration of Frankenstein is that bad things can and will happen and that humans are very capable of accomplishing awesome things and then ignoring them.

1. I definitely do not deserve this scholarship, I plan to pay for college using my amazing career as a stay at home Doggie Daddy by teaching Bandit (the dachshund) how to poop on his puppy pad and look at all unsuspecting visitors with those soulful eyes until everyone gives up money. 2. My Academic goals consist of making as many F's as possible so when its time to get that career at a fast food restaurant, they will see how consistent I was in obtaining the same grade. 3. I overcame the ability to ever become humble. My entire life I have worked hard to be as selfish and conceited as I could so that everyone would never want to befriend me. This was seriously hard to write these words. I hope never to make an F or become selfish but thank you for the opportunity to enter this scholarship. Braxton C.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

Active listening and actually hearing what the other person is trying to not only explain to you but also their feelings about that subject can be awe inspiring. Honestly sometimes a kind smile or listening ear goes a long way toward building someone's confidence level around any subject or duty. My younger brother is on the spectrum with Autism and has a hyper activity disorder so mentoring him means just being in his space while he tells me all about a game or book he is working on whereas my oldest brother has severe anxiety that makes it hard for him to even leave the house so just chatting video games with him helps to ease his anxiety a bit and give him the confidence to get in his car and ultimately to his job. I hope that everyone can impact another and be able to mentor those they love. Thank you!

My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

Mentoring to be is a little like being a big brother. I am a middle child of three boys so I have much experience with being the younger and being the older brother so mentoring is simple for me. I love being a brother and helping anyone or everyone around me and find myself in that role often either at the school or at home with my family. Honestly sometimes a kind smile or listening ear goes a long way toward building someone's confidence level around any subject or duty. My younger brother is on the spectrum with Autism and has a hyper activity disorder so mentoring him means just being in his space while he tells me all about a game or book he is working on whereas my oldest brother has severe anxiety that makes it hard for him to even leave the house so just chatting video games with him helps to ease his anxiety a bit and give him the confidence to get in his car and ultimately to his job. I hope that everyone can impact another and be able to mentor those they love. Thank you!

I'm committed to being selfless because of the people that I surround myself with. I know its a general answer but I can't stand to see good people struggle. My brother has ADHD and is soon to be diagnosed with autism. He struggles with a lot and he can't do most things on his own unless you show him a calculative method of doing things. I remember struggling with basic principles of not learning how to do things so I taught him methods that he understands. As of today he can cook himself food. Now that doesn't sound extremely selfless but six months ago he thought it was impossible to learn. The reason this relates to my commitment is because he is just one case of teamwork. Selflessness isn't only about doing things for others like most people think. It is working with others when you have no incentive to that makes something selfless. I helped my neighbors move a few days ago and I would refuse payment because they have always been so nice to my family. I didn't plan on receiving anything, I just wanted to help because nobody else would. The woman that I was helping wouldn't take no for an answer and just yesterday she baked my family a cake as a form of appreciation. As I write this essay I am also helping my close friend recover from her wisdom teeth removal surgery. It's not to be selfless, it is to be there for someone because everybody has that one day where nothing works and they could use somebody else who is having a fortunate day. I strongly believe in this principle. If it was not for this proclaimed selflessness I would have met the amazing people who have made me who I am.

Albert Einstein is the person in which holds all of my admiration. It wasn't his sheer intellect that inspired me but it was his drive and his methods of achieving the things that he did despite his deficiencies. He was so geared toward reaching his goals that every night he would put a metal plate on the floor beside his bed and as he slept he would hold a metal spoon. Right as he would start to lose consciousness his hand would loosen the grip that he had on the spoon causing it to fall and hit the plate to wake him up. The reason why he did this is because when the human body starts to lose consciousness is when the brain has the most vivid ideas. He wasn't considered a genius just because he was blessed with genetics. He was a genius because he strived to be. For a man like himself to have not only autism but also to have really bad memory really conveys a message that anything can be achieved as long as you put in effort. Einstein in my own opinion is an extremely creative being and it inspires me to work harder to achieve things rather than leaving everything up to luck or saying that I can't do something. He understood this principle well. I would be lying if I said that what he accomplished was what I admire most. What I admire him most for is what he did not accomplish. He never finished the Theory of Everything but he worked on it for over thirty years. This is extreme dedication and it is exactly why this man means everything to me. He is the most admirable person to exist.

The best way that I can think of to start this essay is that Nature by its very definition is the underlying reasoning for our economy, our society, and our very existence. Just think about it; our forest, rivers, oceans, and soil provide us with food, air, and water. If you truly give it quite a bit of thought nature is something we all rely on for so much more and even depend on it for our health, happiness and prosperity. Did you know that being outside in nature increases pleasant feelings but more than that it can contribute to your overall health by lowering blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and just basically reduces stress! With all the above being stated, I guess I love just going on hikes.. Our family loves to get out in nature and the last time we went to a beautiful nature preserve in Cullman County, Alabama and hiked to a gorgeous water fall but behind that was this huge rock formation that you could only get to by crossing the waterfall so my younger brother and I found a shallow spot of water to cross. We then climbed to the top of that formation where we felt alive and on top of the world. It was an amazing day and one that I will not forget. Thank you for your consideration. Braxton Childress

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Motivation for me is the future that I desire. I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

My dream life is really hard to imagine right now. My 17 year old self is submerged in studying and learning and taking tests and applying for colleges and scholarships in the hopes of becoming a successful electrical engineer. Success for me would be to succeed in that endeavor. Would I love a brand new mustang? Yes, I would love that. Would I love a gorgeous house and beach vacations? Yes, I would love that. For now, my dream life looks like being successful and rising to the top as an engineer in a field that I really am excited about. I want to hold that diploma and watch the excited faces of my family and friends as I begin that next journey into a career that I have wanted since I was 10 years old. My dream life might seem odd but that is what I dream of every night. Thank you for your consideration.

The definition of "creativity" basically means the use of the imagination or original ideas. I will be quite honest, I do not adhere to the general rules of creativity with art or writing even but I love to use my imagination to imagine calculus scenarios or math problems that might be too hard for others and then explain them in a way that someone could understand. Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box. Thank you for consideration.

Mentoring to be is a little like being a big brother. I am a middle child of three boys so I have much experience with being the younger and being the older brother so mentoring is simple for me. I love being a brother and helping anyone or everyone around me and find myself in that role often either at the school or at home with my family. Honestly sometimes a kind smile or listening ear goes a long way toward building someone's confidence level around any subject or duty. My younger brother is on the spectrum with Autism and has a hyper activity disorder so mentoring him means just being in his space while he tells me all about a game or book he is working on whereas my oldest brother has severe anxiety that makes it hard for him to even leave the house so just chatting video games with him helps to ease his anxiety a bit and give him the confidence to get in his car and ultimately to his job. I hope that everyone can impact another and be able to mentor those they love. Thank you!

My life goal has ALWAYS been to become an Engineer. Deciding which type was the challenge but after seeing my own father's love of anything electronic, I have decided I would love to learn Electrical Engineering. Computer Engineering is a close second. I am so motivated to get out there and make it! I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Motivation for me is the future that I desire. I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

I will live with gratitude and appreciate everything by just remembering to stick to my truths. My parents have always instilled in me the reminder to be courteous, respectful and truthful and this is how I will go about my days as a student. I truly believe if you are nice and "do unto others as you would have them do to you" then I will be rewarded. I sometimes get shocked in life when someone is rude, selfish, or just ignorant, but I will continue to be myself and not let those issues bother me or my family. I have wanted to go into the engineering field since I was only ten years old. Now that applying for college and scholarships are getting closer and closer, I find myself more and more nervous that I will not make it, but I am staying true to myself and working hard to see those dreams come to fruition. Thank you for this opportunity.

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. I was able to spend last summer volunteering for the Brindlee Mountain Recreation Softball League for young girls. I volunteered as an assistant coach and completed well over 40 - 50 hours of service last summer. My most significant take away is while those girls enjoyed playing ball, they more often than not just wanted to have fun and play like children and for us "adults" to let them just have fun. I also learned a valuable lesson that boys are not like girls and they do not like to get hurt, fall in the dirt or be away from their parents which was always different from my experience playing on a recreation league with my friends when I was their age. I really believe that having a helping attitude goes far in life and will not only have people smile and like you but kindness if always appreciated and I, for one; would prefer everyone be kind to me. The old adage "you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar" holds true today more than ever before. So, hold that door open, help the elderly, offer to help or even just smile at a stranger. Today's world is kind of scary with all the politics and virus scares happening so, I think being kind and helping others will go a long way to healing our society. Thank you for your consideration. Braxton Childress (future Engineering student) Thank you for your consideration.

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley has to be the most inspiring book I have ever read and studied up to this date. The entire premise is based on a scientist who created a life and then was horrified by what he created. One of my favorite sayings is this "just because you can does not me you should" by another favorite author of mine; Sherrilyn Kenyon. In today's time of a deadly pandemic fraught with viruses, the premise behind Frankenstein can totally be felt. Consider this; the same science and technology that are amazing and create so many amazing things such as electricity, mobiles, cell phones can also create a dangerous and negative things too! While reading this book it is clear that the scientist believe they are being revolutionaries when in fact they are being neglectful and ignorant. The short answer to the inspiration of Frankenstein is that bad things can and will happen and that humans are very capable of accomplishing awesome things and then ignoring them.

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box. Thank you for your consideration. Braxton

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Active listening and actually hearing what the other person is trying to not only explain to you but also their feelings about that subject can be awe inspiring. Honestly sometimes a kind smile or listening ear goes a long way toward building someone's confidence level around any subject or duty. My younger brother is on the spectrum with Autism and has a hyper activity disorder so mentoring him means just being in his space while he tells me all about a game or book he is working on whereas my oldest brother has severe anxiety that makes it hard for him to even leave the house so just chatting video games with him helps to ease his anxiety a bit and give him the confidence to get in his car and ultimately to his job. I hope that everyone can impact another and be able to mentor those they love. Thank you!

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box.

Motivation for me is the future that I desire. I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

What give me joy in life is easy. My family! My family consist of one older brother and one younger brother, a Mother and a Father plus a myriad of aunts, uncles, and cousins and two sets of Grandparents! I see other families and realize how very special this is because not everyone gets what I have and that is LOVE. Now, I am going to be honest; having this much family means that there are tons of activities and lots of responsibilities. Such as backyard barbeques, fish fry's, birthday parties, Halloween parties, and so much more. There are arguments and misunderstandings constantly but behind all of that, I am comforted by the fact that there is also a lot of love regardless of the brother fights, parent demands, and boring family outings. I will be able to look back on my youth with fondness and many stories of goofiness of Dad, silliness of my baby brother and of course, all that happiness. Thank you for your consideration.

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Staying optimistic in these tough times reminds me of this quote that my Mother tells me all of the time when I am overwhelmed with the amount of work in my classes or work that I have to complete. "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it and you wouldn't have the opportunity." (quote by Bob Parsons) I truly do like this quote because it is so true. When you have to earn something you appreciate it that much more and if that earning is harder than other things in life, that is okay because that means I had the opportunity to earn it when others could not do it. Certain things are supposed to be hard, like Calculus, not everyone gets it and it is hard to learn but I decided I wanted to learn it and I did and I have an A+ average in this class when most people just give up. Something being hard now just makes me want it that much more. Thank you for this opportunity.

The simple definition of "leadership" is someone whom other people will follow. So, basically someone that makes you feel inspired or motivated to meet a certain goal. Usually, there is someone who the others in the group will listen to and follow. Integrity, listening skills, understanding, guidance, and empowering are all great leader characteristics. I also feel great communication skills are important; a good leader know when to speak, how to speak and also how to listen effectively. My parents are pretty much born leaders, everyone seems to follow my Mother as she is extremely encouraging, has an amazing work ethic, and awesome communication skills. Developing the ability to work well with others, inspiring them and cooperating with different types of people even if you do not agree with their ideas can be hard but as a leaders you need to be committed to listening and negotiating. Some examples of me being in leadership are as simple as being a good big brother (and even a good little brother to my older sibling) I try to always be there for them and inspire my youngest brother to make good grades and be a good role model for his friends as I try to do. My youngest brother has a hyper activity disorder and also autism traits so when he struggles at school to understand social construct I guide him softly explaining why you cannot say or do certain things and what you can do or say in those situations. Other Examples of leadership are helping out in class when my friends are struggling with our classwork or homework. I have also had the opportunity to be an assistant coach to a young girls softball league and found that was one of the hardest ways to lead as that can be more of a teaching experience than leadership experience. I am also in several clubs in high school so I have had to not only be the leader by also be the team mate and I think that is an important part of learning and growing into a good leader. I will apply these leadership skills in my future to interview and intern with all of the patience I have have learned. I hope to inspire others to follow me as I work towards my Masters degree in electrical engineering and want o be able to be the lead over various projects such as designing and building a huge building or even the next rocket ship. Thank you for your consideration.

I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Staying optimistic in these tough times reminds me of this quote that my Mother tells me all of the time when I am overwhelmed with the amount of work in my classes or work that I have to complete. "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it and you wouldn't have the opportunity." (quote by Bob Parsons) I truly do like this quote because it is so true. When you have to earn something you appreciate it that much more and if that earning is harder than other things in life, that is okay because that means I had the opportunity to earn it when others could not do it. Certain things are supposed to be hard, like Calculus, not everyone gets it and it is hard to learn but I decided I wanted to learn it and I did and I have an A+ average in this class when most people just give up. Something being hard now just makes me want it that much more. Thank you for this opportunity.

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box. Thank you for consideration.

I stay true to myself by just remembering to stick to my truths. My parents have always instilled in me the reminder to be courteous, respectful and truthful and this is how I will go about my days as a student. I truly believe if you are nice and "do unto others as you would have them do to you" then I will be rewarded. I sometimes get shocked in life when someone is rude, selfish, or just ignorant, but I will continue to be myself and not let those issues bother me or my family. I have wanted to go into the engineering field since I was only ten years old. Now that applying for college and scholarships are getting closer and closer, I find myself more and more nervous that I will not make it, but I am staying true to myself and working hard to see those dreams come to fruition. Thank you for this opportunity.

My dream life is really hard to imagine right now. My 17 year old self is submerged in studying and learning and taking tests and applying for colleges and scholarships in the hopes of becoming a successful electrical engineer. Success for me would be to succeed in that endeavor. Would I love a brand new mustang? Yes, I would love that. Would I love a gorgeous house and beach vacations? Yes, I would love that. For now, my dream life looks like being successful and rising to the top as an engineer in a field that I really am excited about. I want to hold that diploma and watch the excited faces of my family and friends as I begin that next journey into a career that I have wanted since I was 10 years old. My dream life might seem odd but that is what I dream of every night. Thank you for your consideration.

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

My favorite way to help others is just to take initiative. I always tell everyone that to build up good karma you must be a willing helper. So, if I see a need I always try to reach out. For example, at the store I will help someone carry a heavy item or my elderly next door neighbor frequently needs help with odd jobs around her home so I visit to ensure she is ok and does not need help with anything. My Grammie has an old kindle reader device that stopped working so I put my skills to work to fix it for her. My mother's old laptop needed a new hard drive so I picked one up at the store and installed it for her. I firmly believe in reaching out and extending grace and offers to help as much as possible. I also love to be needed so this helps both parties. Thank you for your consideration.

Motivation for me is the future that I desire. I have wanted to go into engineering since I was around 10 years old. This is the future that I see for myself and I will not let anything stand in my way, not even myself. My GPA is not only impressive but I have attended every single day of the last four years of high school even through the COVID pandemic. I can remember being in the fifth grade and being asked to write a story about what I wanted to be when I grew up and while most kids chose a Rockstar and a firemen, I wanted to be an engineer, electrical to be precise. My Mother loved that paper and kept it somewhere in her closet of my accomplishments. I wake up every morning with one goal in my head and that is to be the best I can today so that my future is bright! Thank you for your consideration; Braxton

The simple definition of "leadership" is someone whom other people will follow. So, basically someone that makes you feel inspired or motivated to meet a certain goal. Usually, there is someone who the others in the group will listen to and follow. Integrity, listening skills, understanding, guidance, and empowering are all great leader characteristics. I also feel great communication skills are important; a good leader know when to speak, how to speak and also how to listen effectively. My parents are pretty much born leaders, everyone seems to follow my Mother as she is extremely encouraging, has an amazing work ethic, and awesome communication skills. Developing the ability to work well with others, inspiring them and cooperating with different types of people even if you do not agree with their ideas can be hard but as a leaders you need to be committed to listening and negotiating. Some examples of me being in leadership are as simple as being a good big brother (and even a good little brother to my older sibling) I try to always be there for them and inspire my youngest brother to make good grades and be a good role model for his friends as I try to do. My youngest brother has a hyper activity disorder and also autism traits so when he struggles at school to understand social construct I guide him softly explaining why you cannot say or do certain things and what you can do or say in those situations. Other Examples of leadership are helping out in class when my friends are struggling with our classwork or homework. I have also had the opportunity to be an assistant coach to a young girls softball league and found that was one of the hardest ways to lead as that can be more of a teaching experience than leadership experience. I am also in several clubs in high school so I have had to not only be the leader by also be the team mate and I think that is an important part of learning and growing into a good leader. I will apply these leadership skills in my future to interview and intern with all of the patience I have have learned. I hope to inspire others to follow me as I work towards my Masters degree in electrical engineering and want o be able to be the lead over various projects such as designing and building a huge building or even the next rocket ship. Thank you for your consideration.

Something that I have learned about myself recently is that I truly love math. I love to learn it and I love to teach it. So much so that I actually have a 40 * 80 whiteboard in my room just to work complex calculus equations. I really like that I X can be anything I want it to be or not to be. Math is a the one subject that is completely based in facts, there are no opinions; just fact. I have to learn the formula and then the equation can be solved. Mrs. Blackman has been my math instructor for several years now and she is probably the reason that math has become so valuable to me. I feel she and I can have these very diverse conversations completely revolving around a formula or equation. I even went so far as to ask my parents to buy me calculus books for Christmas this year. Math is my most valuable tool in my box. Thank you for consideration.

My one sentence is this and its a quote that my Mother tells me all of the time when I am overwhelmed with the amount of work in my classes or work that I have to complete. "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it and you wouldn't have the opportunity." (quote by Bob Parsons) I truly do like this quote because it is so true. When you have to earn something you appreciate it that much more and if that earning is harder than other things in life, that is okay because that means I had the opportunity to earn it when others could not do it. Certain things are supposed to be hard, like Calculus, not everyone gets it and it is hard to learn but I decided I wanted to learn it and I did and I have an A+ average in this class when most people just give up. Something being hard now just makes me want it that much more. Thank you for this opportunity.

What makes me happy is easy. My family! My family consist of one older brother and one younger brother, a Mother and a Father plus a myriad of aunts, uncles, and cousins and two sets of Grandparents! I see other families and realize how very special this is because not everyone gets what I have and that is LOVE. Now, I am going to be honest; having this much family means that there are tons of activities and lots of responsibilities. Such as backyard barbeques, fish fry's, birthday parties, Halloween parties, and so much more. There are arguments and misunderstandings constantly but behind all of that, I am comforted by the fact that there is also a lot of love regardless of the brother fights, parent demands, and boring family outings. I will be able to look back on my youth with fondness and many stories of goofiness of Dad, silliness of my baby brother and of course, all that happiness. Thank you for your consideration.

Mentoring to be is a little like being a big brother. I am a middle child of three boys so I have much experience with being the younger and being the older brother so mentoring is simple for me. I love being a brother and helping anyone or everyone around me and find myself in that role often either at the school or at home with my family. Honestly sometimes a kind smile or listening ear goes a long way toward building someone's confidence level around any subject or duty. My younger brother is on the spectrum with Autism and has a hyper activity disorder so mentoring him means just being in his space while he tells me all about a game or book he is working on whereas my oldest brother has severe anxiety that makes it hard for him to even leave the house so just chatting video games with him helps to ease his anxiety a bit and give him the confidence to get in his car and ultimately to his job. I hope that everyone can impact another and be able to mentor those they love. Thank you!