"The Great Reset" is a turn of phrase that I use to describe this past year and what it has represented for me. Over the course of the past year, I have learned more about myself than was ever afforded to me before. Prior to the pandemic, I used to think that being productive meant being busy all the time. Productivity meant following other people's dreams for my life instead of my own; however, "The Great Reset" has completely flipped my definition of productivity on its head. Whereas before I didn't even give myself room to breathe or to feel, I now choose to truly live instead of following a set path. The metric by which I define productivity has moved towards fulfillment, rather than what is expected of me. Essentially, I have learned to feel complete by just being myself and making time for the things that I love to do. "The Great Reset" has been hard on many people, including myself, in a lot of different ways, and yet I have never felt more sure of my character and who I am as a human being. "The Great Reset" taught me to breathe.

One of the points of the Scout Oath is “to help other people at all times,” and my journey to becoming an Eagle Scout has given me countless opportunities to help those less fortunate than myself. These opportunities are pivotal moments that have taken part in developing my character. One man who helped to foster my growth is my former Scoutmaster Mr. Ken Nordstrom, a man who has devoted over fifty years of service to the Scouting program and is an Eagle himself. Mr. Nordstrom is a man who gives everything and expects nothing in return. My time in Scouting taught me that service is soul-nourishing; choosing to help those who are not as fortunate as you fosters a sense of community, a sense of empathy, and a sense of being. My family and I didn’t fall on the spectrum of economic prosperity, so Mr. Nordstrom’s generosity was unlike anything I had experienced prior. Frankly, my family has always been ‘less fortunate’, but my work with Mr. Nordstrom helped to expand my perspective. I used to think that familial situations couldn’t get worse than ours, but after working with Mr. Nordstrom, I realized that I had a naive and privileged mindset. Despite our financial insecurity, we still had a place to go home to at the end of the day. Every year, we helped our local food pantry in gathering donations during the holiday season. After donations, we would put together ‘dinners in a bag’; these were large brown paper bags full of the ingredients needed to make a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and then we’d distribute them to those in need. Mr. Nordstrom led by example, he did not need to be there to hand meals to the less fortunate, he did not need to stand with us Scouts for hours pleading grocery store patrons for donations to the hungry; Mr. Nordstrom did it because it was the right thing to do. This consistent act of charity spearheaded by Mr. Nordstrom showed me there is wisdom in humility and Godliness in compassion. There is always someone who could use extra kindness or a little extra generosity in their life. Above all, service has taught me empathy; service has not just shaped me, service is who I am, and I wish to continue to spread that kindness for the rest of my life.

The hounding continued as I tried my best to remain calm and level-headed. Outnumbered two to one, I was certain that this battle of wits and reason was one that I was going to lose. Long ago, I had given up hope of arriving victorious at the peak of the hill, but a newfound determination drove me to succeed. I had had enough; I was the type of person to follow orders, maintain a personal standard, and keep my head above the water. Yet, I yearned for a change; I wanted to be challenged, stimulated, and not live the same day over and over as I had done for years. That’s how I knew that I would win, I was determined to. Success was within reach. Thus began my greatest achievement yet: starting anew. The uphill battle described above was not one for materials; my battle was for change. In my junior year of high school, I decided to make the choice to leave a school that I had attended for eleven years. I left in search of a more challenging curriculum, I decided to begin at a new high school with a growth mindset. I left a school of twelve-hundred students from kindergarten through twelfth grade to a high school with nearly four thousand students. I dove headfirst into the hardest classes available, and in this case, my challenge came in the form of the International Baccalaureate diploma. Sure of myself, I began my senior year with a confidence instilled in me that I had never felt before; I was ready to experience my new life as a public school student. Unfortunately, my confidence was misplaced. The challenges of school combined with a part-time job, working to uphold the values instilled in me as an Eagle Scout, balancing my extracurricular activities, and maintaining a social life had left me isolated. I felt overwhelmed, lonely, and disconnected from myself and everyone around me. I begged for structure, clarity, and to feel like myself again. I had made the choice to leave everything I knew behind, including some of my closest friends but most notably the school that I had attended for eleven years. An entire year went by with this unshakeable feeling of crippling loneliness, and I yearned for the school that I once called home. When my senior year of high school began, the values instilled in me as an Eagle Scout didn’t have their chance to shine. I knew that my standard, the values and codes that an Eagle Scout should have, were left behind. Transitioning to a school with over three times the amount of total students came as an absolute culture shock, and all the nightmarish stories you hear about high school came true. The Scouts stand for integrity, character, and staying true to yourself despite adversity, and I realized that I was slowly losing my grip on the values that made me who I am. High school makes it so easy to forget who you are and where you came from, and through all this I realized that I needed to make another change. I learned from enrolling in the International Baccalaureate classes that I was a big fish in a very small pond at my previous school. Embarrassment over failed tests and worsening grades showed me how to be my most authentic self; I’ve made lifelong companions, my work/social balance has improved, and although it’s still difficult for me to maintain my footing, I’ve laid the foundations for a healthy and well-balanced life. I now realize that my so-called “achievement” was not in my choosing to change high schools. My achievement is that changing schools was a catalyst for so many learning experiences in my life. My victory, my accomplishment, comes from the life I’ve built around me. I have opened myself to mental stimulation, physical and emotional growth, and academic oriented successes. I’ve allowed my voice to be heard, and am filled with a confidence that shows in the way that I carry myself. This achievement, the change that I forced myself into, has prepared me for new challenges. It has taught me focus, time management, and the true meaning of determination. The choice for me to change schools did not come without its fair share of trials and tribulations, but through it all, I have learned to stay grounded and be true to myself. When I look into the mirror, I finally recognize the person looking back: A self-made man, proud to work hard, and ready to take on his next big challenge.

As children, we are taught to think analytically and critically in order to solve the issues present at a young age; for example, the square-shaped block goes into the square hole. All of childhood, even life as a whole, is one gigantic learning experience where we continually mold and re-shape who we are to resolve the problems around us; we never stop learning. Many people deny this learning experience and are perfectly content with going on living their daily lives; these people find comfort in the monotony. Yet, ever since I was a child, I have enjoyed creative problem-solving and thinking “outside of the box”, which is why I have chosen to study in the field of engineering with a double major in business. Engineering is anything but monotonous, and it is my belief that the engineering field will allow me to explore issues from a innovative and free-thinking standpoint. In my experience, it seems as though many people are used to remaining “in the box” and refuse to step out of their comfort zone to truly shine and this is exactly what engineering will allow me to overcome. My goal is to be a lifelong learner; one who is constantly and consistently overcoming the next challenge, whether that be a personal obstacle, or the next engineering project. This is how my higher education will continually benefit my life. However, I wish to use my higher education not only to improve myself, but to improve the lives of those around me. One of the biggest problems that many native communities face today is lack of access to infrastructure. Mesa Grande, the tribe from which I descend, has extremely limited access to running water, electricity, and other utilities essential to a modern day living standard. My mother is currently on the economic board for our tribe, and I believe that my business degree will allow me to follow in her footsteps to both improve Mesa Grande’s standard of living and our economic output. One of my goals is to be able to pave the way for our tribe to have a voice, and to be “put on the map” both physically and financially. Seeing my extended family’s lack of access to these essentials pains my heart; engineering will allow me the time and resources to achieve this goal, and a business degree will provide me with both the knowledge and ability to help provide these rights to my tribe. Through engineering and business, I plan to find a way to provide infrastructure and economic boons while still holding reverence to both ecology and traditional cultural values; these benefit both our native heritage and the land we call home. I’m hopeful and excited for my future, and I’m even more excited for the way I know that I can change things.