As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I’ve surrounded myself with people of many sexualities, genders, and sexes. We provide a support group for one another; however, although we’re each different, we can all relate to one thing in particular: people assume we are a certain way because of our sex. I’m a male and use he/him pronouns, so people expect that I’m straight. And once people discover I’m bisexual, I’m often shunned for being “too flamboyant” or “not a real man.” One of my friends, a gay man, has had similar experiences. Society tells us that being attracted to men while also being one is wrong; the social order tells us we should shame ourselves for it. On the other hand, my lesbian friend has never had these issues. Instead, she has faced another form of discrimination. Straight men don’t often shun women-loving-women (WLW); instead, they often fetishize WLW. While this is the opposite of being rejected the way men-loving-men (MLM) often are, fetishization is just as terrible. Being fetishized degrades WLW to an object only for straight men’s enjoyment rather than being seen as real people with their own emotions. Even worse, the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community often sees WLW as more “accepted” by much of the general population because they fetishize WLW. “If straight men love watching WLW so much, how can WLW claim that society is oppressing them?” is a question I often see asked. However, despite the differences in the problems of MLM and WLW, both groups are striving towards a common goal. We both want gender equity in the LGBTQIA+ community. Although we are different genders, that should not affect people’s reactions to us when we reveal that we are attracted to members of the same sex. People shouldn’t treat me differently based on if I’m a man loving a man or a woman loving a woman. Society should give MLM and WLW the same reaction when they come out: a positive one. So how can we, single individuals, help solve this blatant gender disparity? The obvious answer here is to support your friends when they come out as gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer in any other way. No matter their sex or gender, they should always receive unconditional support from those around them when they decide to share their identity. However, there are other ways to help that I’ve implemented into my daily life as well. In particular, I support loved ones, whether family or friends, when they come out to people other than myself. If they are comfortable with me being next to them for support when they come out to someone else, I can encourage them and also ensure that if the other person reacts negatively, I can quickly shut them down and support my friend. No matter their gender or orientation, LGBTQIA+ people deserve equitable treatment from society. We each deserve fair treatment from others regarding our identities, and people shouldn’t treat us differently due to our sex.

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I’ve surrounded myself with people of many sexualities, genders, and sexes. We provide a support group for one another; however, although we’re each different, we can all relate to one thing in particular: people assume we are a certain way because of our sex. I’m a male and use he/him pronouns, so people expect that I’m straight. And once people discover I’m bisexual, I’m often shunned for being “too flamboyant” or “not a real man.” One of my friends, a gay man, has had similar experiences. Society tells us that being attracted to men while also being one is wrong; the social order tells us we should shame ourselves for it. On the other hand, my lesbian friend has never had these issues. Instead, she has faced another form of discrimination. Straight men don’t often shun women-loving-women (WLW); instead, they often fetishize WLW. While this is the opposite of being rejected the way men-loving-men (MLM) often are, fetishization is just as terrible. Being fetishized degrades WLW to an object only for straight men’s enjoyment rather than being seen as real people with their own emotions. Even worse, the rest of the LGBTQIA+ community often sees WLW as more “accepted” by much of the general population because they fetishize WLW. “If straight men love watching WLW so much, how can WLW claim that society is oppressing them?” is a question I often see asked. However, despite the differences in the problems of MLM and WLW, both groups are striving towards a common goal. We both want gender equity in the LGBTQIA+ community. Although we are different genders, that should not affect people’s reactions to us when we reveal that we are attracted to members of the same sex. People shouldn’t treat me differently based on if I’m a man loving a man or a woman loving a woman. Society should give MLM and WLW the same reaction when they come out: a positive one. So how can we, single individuals, help solve this blatant gender disparity? The obvious answer here is to support your friends when they come out as gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer in any other way. No matter their sex or gender, they should always receive unconditional support from those around them when they decide to share their identity. However, there are other ways to help that I’ve implemented into my daily life as well. In particular, I support loved ones, whether family or friends, when they come out to people other than myself. If they are comfortable with me being next to them for support when they come out to someone else, I can encourage them and also ensure that if the other person reacts negatively, I can quickly shut them down and support my friend. No matter their gender or orientation, LGBTQIA+ people deserve equitable treatment from society. We each deserve fair treatment from others regarding our identities, and people shouldn’t treat us differently due to our sex.

Being a leader isn’t about having the ability to complete any task alone. Leaders don’t do everything solo; instead, they guide others to complete the job together. Nowadays, I know this, but I didn’t always. I was stubborn in middle school, and that personality continued when I began high school. My idea was always the best, no matter what. When others recommended better ways to solve a math problem, word a sentence, or pitch a tent, I would quickly dismiss them. That was until I began my Eagle Scout project. When discussing ideas for the project, I quickly determined what I wanted to do: create a sound booth for my church, the Presbyterian Church of Toms River (PCTR), so they could easily livestream services. Having been a part of the church’s production team for years, I knew they desperately needed this. Taking on the challenge of designing and building a large production booth at PCTR was ambitious, but I was confident I could achieve my goal until two problems appeared. Problem one: I had no construction experience. I needed help. Help is not easy to ask for, so while it was easy to find a mentor, spitting out a request for aid once I did was much more difficult. However, if I’d tried to complete this service project alone, it would’ve failed miserably. At PCTR, there is one man everyone goes to for their building needs: Bob Grill. I quickly determined he was the man for the job. He’s savvy with electric saws, nail guns, and trigger tackers. But Mr. Grill is always busy; with so much to do, why would Bob ever help me? I trembled as I approached him after church service, worried he would reject me. However, after mustering up all my courage, I asked him, “Can you help me with my Eagle Scout Project?” He quickly answered, “Of course, what do you need help with?” And all of my fears left me. This Scouting experience taught me the importance of bravery. Problem two: my lack of money. Everything for the project had to come from donations, and PCTR couldn’t afford to donate much. I had to venture out and obtain contributions on my own. Walking into stores dressed in a full Scout uniform to ask for free wood, screws, and other hardware supplies is intimidating. I had to engage in tough negotiations, but after talking with eight shops, I secured over five hundred dollars worth of building supplies from five of them. And although not every store supported me, I acquired all the needed resources. Scouting taught me the valuable lesson that you don’t always get what you want, but through perseverance, you can always be triumphant. In college, I doubt I’ll build sound booths; however, the leadership skills I learned from Scouting won’t go to waste. I can now tutor classmates, edit essays, and help the environment without thinking my idea is always perfect. I can now be an effective leader in my community.

My heart pounded as I walked through the door of my local 84 Lumber store. Anxiously, I hiked to the counter to ask the worker if I could speak with the manager about securing a donation. I needed supplies for my Eagle Scout Project. A few months before this, when discussing ideas for the project, I quickly determined what I wanted to do: create a sound booth for my church, the Presbyterian Church of Toms River (PCTR), so they’re able to easily livestream services. Having been a member of the church’s production team for years, I knew they desperately needed this, so I decided to build one. Taking on the challenge of designing and building a large production booth at PCTR was ambitious, especially as a freshman, but I was confident I could achieve my goal. That was until two problems came up. Problem one: I had no construction experience. I needed help. Help is not easy to ask for, so while it was easy to seek out a mentor and find one, spitting out a request for aid once I did was much more difficult. However, if I’d tried to complete this service project alone, it would’ve failed miserably. At my church, there is one man everyone goes to for their building needs: Bob Grill. I quickly determined he was the man for the job; he was skilled in electric saws, nail guns, and trigger tackers. But Mr. Grill is always busy; with so much to do, why would Bob ever help me? I trembled as I approached him after church service one Saturday night, worried that he would reject me. However, after mustering up all my courage, I asked him, “Can you help me with my Eagle Scout Project?” He quickly said, “Of course, what do you need help with?” And all of my fears left me. I learned the importance of bravery because you’ll never know whether or not someone will reject you until you ask. Problem two: my lack of money. By Scouting regulations, everything for the project must come from donations. Neither my parents nor I could purchase anything. To make things worse, my church could not afford to donate much. I had to venture out and gain donations on my own. Walking into a store dressed in a full Scout uniform to ask for free wood, screws, and other hardware supplies is intimidating. It required me to engage in arduous negotiations, trying to get the most from the store while not pushing too far and getting nothing. I needed to learn the everlasting business skill of bartering. Thus, in my determination to succeed, I taught myself. After discussing obtaining funding with eight stores and traveling to each to apply for assistance, I secured over five hundred dollars worth of building supplies from five shops. And although not every shop supported me, I acquired all the needed resources. I learned the valuable lesson that you don’t always get what you want, but through perseverance and persistence, you can always be triumphant. I never gave up through all of the ups and downs, and through my efforts, I successfully built a new, beautiful production booth. Months later, during my sophomore year, my work on this project paid off: I earned Eagle. However, more important than my earning Eagle is that each Sunday, any church member who can’t come because they are sick, elderly, or disabled can now experience the service online. My bravery in asking for my mentor’s support and my perseverance in asking for donations made that happen.

Act One: I am a problem solver; the pure satisfaction of finding a solution to an issue I am having has always been enjoyable. Through this fulfillment, I became obsessed with math in middle school. All math problems have correct solutions, and I can check each of these solutions with ease. My teachers encouraged me, placing me in upper-level classes. Despite this obsession, I never considered a career in these subjects—what could I do with a mathematics degree? It felt like a pyramid scheme: becoming a math teacher was the only career I could pursue in math. Of course, I was dead wrong. As I entered high school, I still had no idea what I wanted to do in life. I knew I loved computers and mathematics, but I thought those fields were off the table since I didn’t want to be a teacher. I needed to innovate, and how could I do that in these crowded fields full of people smarter than me? This pessimistic attitude followed me until the freshman-year club fair. In that one lunch period during early October, I discovered the MATES Robotics Team. A senior friend of mine was a leader in the club, and he encouraged me to join. I was unsure, but after attending a meeting, I knew my decision. I had to be a member of this club. Robotics taught me that with math and computers, I could do anything. The field is still broad, with plenty of research not done yet. Once I knew this, I realized what I wanted to become. I want to be a programmer who helps people around the world. To innovate with code and help people with my creations is my dream. But how could I achieve this objective? Act Two: Growing up on the Jersey Shore and amid the New Jersey Pine Barrens has made me a nature lover. I adore the environment: I love hearing seagulls squawk as I lay on a sandy ocean beach, and I love listening to American Goldfinches chirp on campouts with my Scout Troop. Experiencing nature is incredible, but to fully understand the wonder of the living world, I needed to learn more about it. My high school, MATES, has given me that opportunity. I’ve studied oceanography, biology, and ecology. I’ve learned about climate change and scientists’ efforts to fix it. These classes and the teachers of the natural sciences that instruct them have inspired me to contribute to these endeavors. My goal is to become part of the solution to global warming. Finale: I experienced these two journeys in tandem, and through them, I realized how I could kill both birds with one stone. By researching these two subjects together, I will advance both fields in original ways. I could create a climate model with machine learning that helps scientists predict our planet’s future or program a robot that detects and identifies trash in the ocean. Hereafter, I will utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to help save the world.