In July 2023, my father suddenly passed for a variety of medical reasons at the age of 59. I remember when I first heard the news that he was in the hospital, as I was on campus, working to support myself through college in an attempt to be a part of the first generation in my family to go to college. While my dad had been a financial support in my life, he was more importantly a social support, continuously bragging about his pride in his youngest son. I entered college with little to no expectations of what it would be like, but I have been able to manage navigating it completely on my own successfully. I aimed to make my parents proud by pursuing an ambitious career in law enforcement management, and leading up to it, achieving three degrees in five years. I currently am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Psychological Sciences, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Behavior; I am in the 4+1 program for my Master of Public Administration. I also have three minors in Spanish, Sociology, and Literary Translation, demonstrating true ambition by pursuing many plans of study. This ambition is not only present in my academic journey, but also in my professional career: I have held six jobs and internships at my school, with up to four at one time, and currently work three. I am a campus tour guide, resident assistant, and an emerging social media intern with UConn Athletics. However, my ambition doesn't stop there either, as I also serve as the President of the Men's Volleyball team, the Co-President and Co-Founder of the Portuguese Student Association, and as one of two student board members on UConn's Board of Trustees. Many people would instantly claim that my ambition is "too much," or that I am working myself into the ground; however, my motivation comes from remembering my dad's legacy as a hardworking individual. Despite never attending college, my dad started a tree company from the ground up, providing for me and my three siblings for the span of his life. I remember long days when he would come home from work with dirt caked into the cracks of his hand and splinters in his arms and legs all so that we could have a meal on the table - it is memories as these that I find my strength to keep moving forward despite a significant loss in my family. In conclusion, I would like to leave you with a story that crosses my mind often: every spring, my volleyball team hosts a fundraiser in which we sell UConn Men's Volleyball merchandise to those who support the team. Without me knowing, my dad had gotten a shirt from my mom and was planning on surprising me at one of my tournaments by showing up in the shirt. When I cleaned out my dad's apartment after his passing, I found the shirt, and I have not stopped thinking about it since that moment. He never had the chance to support me at any of my collegiate tournaments, though every time I play, I still can hear him cheering in the stands, just as it was in high school - and experiences like these give me the motivation to "fight on" in all aspects of my life.

Gaining this scholarship will remove a further barrier to completing my college education. As a first-generation college student, I have had to not only navigate the college experience with little to no assistance but also have to finance it completely independently of my parents, especially following the death of my father this past July. This scholarship will allow me to further pursue studies and gain hands-on experience in my field of study, rather than working multiple full-time jobs to support myself throughout the rest of college. If I can finance my college education, I will not only be the first in my family to receive a college degree, but I will be able to receive three degrees in five years - a Bachelor of Science in Psychological Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Behavior, and a Master of Public Administration - all before I turn 23 years old. However, I am unable to support myself completely independently and need scholarships to do so successfully. I have thankfully worked enough to pay for much of my education thus far, but moving forward into my Senior year, I will not be able to commit to my employment, as I will be completing research and a senior thesis. After graduation, I plan to work in leadership in the Law Enforcement field, ensuring international and domestic safety for all of America's residents, while also continuing to coach high school volleyball. I currently volunteer as an Assistant Varsity Volleyball coach at my local high school, Edwin O. Smith, and have committed innumerable hours to that program specifically. Being a Varsity athlete, captain, and All-State selection in high school has enabled me to be a part of a nationally competitive Men's Volleyball team in college, and since it has provided me with such a rewarding experience through teammates and learning experiences, I have devoted much time to providing high school athletes with the same experiences that I had throughout my high school journey. Ultimately, winning this scholarship will allow me to spend more time in pursuit of my academic journey through classes and enrichment experiences, while also staying true to my community and volunteering as a coach nearby. One may question why I have chosen a career path of criminal justice and high school coaching, and this has been a result of one of the biggest influences and role models in my life, who was my high school volleyball coach. My coach was a part of the FBI for most of his life, but once he retired, he became the head coach at my high school. I looked up to him for advice not only in the realm of volleyball but also personal and professional advice. With him being the role model that he was, I aim to be that role model for others in the pursuit of my law enforcement and coaching careers. If it were not for him having a major impact on my life, chances say that I would not be in college today, and I certainly would not have had nearly as much of an interest in the topics that I do now.

In every class that I have both taught and attended, we finish by stating the principles of Tang Soo Do: honesty, courtesy, integrity, self-control, perseverance, and indomitable spirit; out of these, perseverance has been the principle I have used the most in my daily life. My first week at Karate, I returned to the studio and told the instructor that I wanted to sign up. I began to have doubts: I'm so late to the game; maybe I'm not cut out for this? After hearing of my enrollment, many others warned that it would be impossible for me to become a Cho Dan by the time I graduated high school. However, my ambitious personality refused to take 'no' for an answer, and I worked my hardest to see the moment when I received my black belt a month before graduating high school. While many people limit perseverance to the saying "If you don't succeed, try, try again," I see perseverance in a different light: perseverance is continuing to work through the destructive comments of others to achieve your final goal. Perseverance in Karate has taught me to focus on my goals and never let others influence the outcome, and it has been shown in many ways: when I played on the Varsity Volleyball team my first year, even though others said I wouldn't make the JV team; when I passed a class that most advised me to drop; when I was elected onto Student Government after losing previous elections.

I've pulled muscles and broken bones playing volleyball, but the most significant, meaningful moment ever playing volleyball was my first time playing Varsity during my first season playing volleyball. At a disadvantage as a result of my late start to the game, I had to work overtime to become the volleyball player I am today. Unlike most of my teammates, I started playing volleyball my Sophomore year of high school, as opposed to my teammates who had started during freshman year or earlier, and most had some form of club experience. But being a quick learner, I was able to pick up on techniques and spend additional time playing the game. Halfway through the season, I was pulled up to bench Varsity as a DS. The only underclassman on Varsity, my coach saw me as a coachable player who was ready to attend any and every practice, and he loved my natural ability to lead my JV team as a captain, despite not previously knowing a single player. In the first game that I played Varsity, we were up 2 sets to one, when my coach pointed at me and told me to sub in for our starting outside. I seriously thought it was a mistake, but he told me to get ready to serve. When I went to serve, I didn't have any position in mind, and my goal was simply to get my standing float serve over the net and inbounds. Soon after, the ball was sent over in a tip, around 15 feet in front of where I was. I dove to the ball, managing to pancake the ball and get it up. The JV section of the stands stood up and roared. It felt like something out of a movie, that was until the setter doubled, and the point was lost. My coach subbed me back out right after this play. As small as this moment is, I was able to remember it as the first time I was a Varsity athlete. Currently, as a Libero for an 18-open team (this is my first year playing club after my Junior season was canceled), nothing is more rejuvenating and exciting than the feeling of getting a perfect pass on a hard swing or a perfect contact on a float serve. Being a part of such a small community (that is, Boy's Volleyball in CT) provides me with a supportive group of friends who push me to play my hardest. Regarding leadership, I have held multiple leadership positions on volleyball teams and with athletics in general. In my state, I am a part of the Student Equity Advisory Board for the Interscholastic Athletic Conference, inspiring equality and fairness across sports and demographics. On my Varsity team (as a captain/starter), I have had to lead my team through the pandemic, providing alternative practices and workouts for my team to continue to practice during our offseason. I plan to continue using my leadership skills through college, growing the game of volleyball in whatever way I can. The majority of the schools that I am applying to do not have a Varsity Men's Volleyball program. With Men's Volleyball now being the fastest-growing sport in the NCAA, I will play on a club team during college in hopes of inspiring the growth of an NCAA program at whatever school I decide to attend. I will work with my college's administration to prove that an NCAA program would be feasible, as well as rewarding for the school. Because volleyball has impacted my life so significantly, I believe that every student should have the opportunity to play volleyball in some capacity.

I still remember the night of the first day that I played varsity volleyball. I was sitting on the bench for the 4th week in a row without being played. My coach decided to put me in during the last set while we were up, 11-10. It was a tiebreaker set. The entire JV section cheered me on loudly, as I was their captain, finally playing varsity. I served the ball and it went over, which was a massive relief. The ball came over on a tip, and I dove for the ball and got it off the ground.

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