Money has always been the most important priority when it came to college, but I also fell in love with San Diego. The only problem is that it is across the country, and with flights, tuition, move in, etc, it will get very expensive. Being offered this scholarship will open up more opportunities for me to thrive and make a difference in San Diego. Coming from a Jesuit school that values being a man for others, open to growth, intellectually competent, loving, committed to justice, etc, I spend a lot of time with service and giving back to the community. This scholarship won’t change that, but will allow for more time giving back to the community over worrying about how I am going to pay for my dream school. This scholarship will make a difference not only in my life, but my families. My mom has already worked so hard for me to be able to attend San Diego, and she tirelessly continues to work more, even while providing full time care for my disabled sister, Sydni, who cannot walk or talk because of a brain tumor that she had when she was a baby. Along with these struggles of being in and out of court with my father over legal guardianship of Sydni, I have another sister who is a senior in college this year, so it will be a struggle to have to pay for college for another four years. I help to the best of my ability by working as a Personal Care Assistant for Sydni, as she needs 24/7 care and assistance. I would help her with position changes, filling medications and formulas, pickup off the bus, time her seizures, etc. Working for Sydni is one of the ways that I can help my mom out when she also has to find time for work . Despite all of the struggles within my family, we are still able to be involved in my community and make a difference in others lives. I have always been interested in Computer Science and programming. Growing up with Sydni, my intellectual curiosity tried to come up with ways to code a program that might be able to help people like her. I worked on this one project that was similar to a device that she uses that allows her to talk through eyesight. She looks at an image or a word and the machine will say it out loud. I tried making a different version. Computer Science is one of the ways I can see myself making a difference in the world and paying it forward to my community and family, which is why I am more than excited to pursue it in the upcoming years.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been awarded with 16 different High Honor achievements throughout 16 different quarters. Along with that, I was elected as one of two Vice Captains of Gonzaga House, which means that I was responsible for being a servant leader and to know and care for the 90 students in Gonzaga House, along with our Captain. I was also able to be a leader on a retreat, Kairos, that spends a lot of time with reflection, discernment, and vulnerability, and was awarded for that as well. While I led Kairos, I was also a student during the retreat before leading it, which was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my high school career. Building a community of love and trust is so important to me and something that I got to be a part of on this retreat. As far as athletics go at BC High, I tried a little bit of everything. I played Football, Basketball, and Baseball Freshman year. I played Baseball Sophomore year. Junior year, I did Indoor Track, and Baseball. Finally Senior year, I joined the Swim team, and played Baseball. I also was the Stage Crew Captain for the musical at BC High my Junior year, Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief, and I was an actor in the musical Senior year, Bright Star. Throughout the variety of sports and activities throughout BC High that I have been a part of, I loved being able to put myself into different experiences that I wouldn’t always expect, and being able to learn more about myself in them. I met so many great people that have had a huge impact on my life, and I have learned so much from those around me throughout all of these different teams that I have been a part of. I work as a Personal Care Assistant for my sister, Sydni. Sydni was born with a brain tumor and defeated the cancer, but now cannot walk or talk and needs 24/7 care and assistance. I would help her with position changes, filling medications and formulas, pickup off the bus, time seizures, start and shut off the feeding machine, etc. Another time when I grew closer to my classmates was on a service immersion trip to Guatemala. A group of us stayed with an organization named Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, NPH, which is an organization that provides a home for many orphans and abandoned children. We spent about a week there and bonded with many different people: pre-schoolers, teenagers, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We would play and get to know these different people at NPH, help feed the elderly, fold clothes, clean up beds, build a clothesline area for the kids, etc. Towards the end of our day, we would gather as a school, reflect on the day, and think about how we can continue to make an impact. I spent some time volunteering with Tenacity, a Tennis and Reading camp, where I was formerly a camper while growing up. I would be with fourth and fifth graders and teach them the game of tennis and all that you can learn from it like self-confidence, communication, decision-making, and more. I would also help tutor with things like reading, or any type of school work that they had. This was an experience that was close to my heart because, coming from being a camper at Tenacity, I loved being able to give back to the team that has taken care of me every summer and made me feel a part of a community.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been awarded with 16 different High Honor achievements throughout 16 different quarters. Along with that, I was elected as one of two Vice Captains of Gonzaga House, which means that I was responsible for being a servant leader and to know and care for the 90 students in Gonzaga House, along with our Captain. I was also able to be a leader on a retreat, Kairos, that spends a lot of time with reflection, discernment, and vulnerability, and was awarded for that as well. While I led Kairos, I was also a student during the retreat before leading it, which was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my high school career. Building a community of love and trust is so important to me and something that I got to be a part of on this retreat. I spent some time volunteering with Tenacity, a Tennis and Reading camp, where I was formerly a camper while growing up. I would be with fourth and fifth graders and teach them the game of tennis and all that you can learn from it like self-confidence, communication, decision-making, and more. I would also help tutor with things like reading, or any type of school work that they had. This was an experience that was close to my heart because, coming from being a camper at Tenacity, I loved being able to give back to the team that has taken care of me every summer and made me feel a part of a community. I also spent a lot of time with the Better Men Project, a small group that reflects on self-awareness, sexism, toxic masculinity, misogyny, identity, and more, which was a big part of my personal growth as an individual throughout my time at BC High. There would be countless conversations during this Club that would engage personal stories from those around me, along with myself, and I was able to learn from what others shared meanwhile reflecting on where I can find some improvement in my life as well. This has taught me how to work on personal growth in a way that builds my community up with me and strives for a loving community. I work as a Personal Care Assistant for my sister, Sydni. Sydni was born with a brain tumor and defeated the cancer, but now cannot walk or talk and needs 24/7 care and assistance. I help her with position changes, filling medications and formulas, pickup off the bus, time seizures, start and shut off the feeding machine, etc. Working for my sister, the person who has taught me the most about life, is great. The PCA Organization has so many great people who have true compassion and sympathy for others which are traits that I aspire to grow in as I get older. This helps me leave a legacy on my family as well as community because families with disabilities go through a lot, and being someone who can share experience whilst additional help if needed can be very helpful for some families, especially with my family.

I used to do a lot of computer programming when I was younger, and many of the projects that I liked working on were for people with disabilities. I grew up with a sister who lost the ability to walk and talk as a baby, and my intellectual curiosity tried to come up with ways to code a program that might be able to help people like my sister. I worked on this one project that was similar to a device that my sister uses that allows her to talk through her eyesight. She looks at an image or a word, and the machine will say it out loud. I tried making a different version. I went to MIT for the Scratch Day celebration, and I presented to a group of people my project which consisted of basically what my sister’s device was, but rather than through eye contact, it was through mouse clicks. This example of my sister’s device, and the solutions that can come from programming as well, is a great example of ways that Science has led to an innovative solution to the everyday challenge for people with disabilities because these devices now give some people the ability to be able to communicate with others on a daily basis when they would not be able to prior to these devices. I want to be able to create something for others whether that be for cyber security, assistive technology, or anything that can help my community. Coming from a Jesuit background at Boston College High School, I value being a man for and with others, being loving, open to growth, committed to justice, paying it forward, and countless more ideas that all circle around making the world a better place. I want to be able to make this world better than when I came into it and, from since I can remember, Computer Programming and Computer Science has always been the thing that would keep me up at night to figure out a code or find a way to solve a problem. I love the work that STEM does for society, and the way that it is constantly improving and becoming better. I would be more than grateful and honored to be able to be a part of a community in STEM that is committed to making the world better, and I will always do my best to improve myself and others around me within the STEM community so that we can continue to find innovative solutions to everyday societal challenges for people like my sister, and for many others.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been awarded with 16 different High Honor achievements throughout 16 different quarters. Along with that, I was elected as one of two Vice Captains of Gonzaga House, which means that I was responsible for being a servant leader and to know and care for the 90 students in Gonzaga House, along with our Captain. I was also able to be a leader on a retreat, Kairos, that spends a lot of time with reflection, discernment, and vulnerability, and was awarded for that as well. While I led Kairos, I was also a student during the retreat before leading it, which was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my high school career. Building a community of love and trust is so important to me and something that I got to be a part of on this retreat. Another time when I grew closer to my classmates was on a service immersion trip to Guatemala. A group of us stayed with an organization named Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos, NPH, which is an organization that provides a home for many orphans and abandoned children. We spent about a week there and bonded with many different people: pre-schoolers, teenagers, the elderly, and people with disabilities. We would play and get to know these different people at NPH, help feed the elderly, fold clothes, clean up beds, build a clothesline area for the kids, etc. Towards the end of our day, we would gather as a school, reflect on the day, and think about how we can continue to make an impact. I spent some time volunteering with Tenacity, a Tennis and Reading camp, where I was formerly a camper while growing up. I would be with fourth and fifth graders and teach them the game of tennis and all that you can learn from it like self-confidence, communication, decision-making, and more. I would also help tutor with things like reading, or any type of school work that they had. This was an experience that was close to my heart because, coming from being a camper at Tenacity, I loved being able to give back to the team that has taken care of me every summer and made me feel a part of a community. As far as athletics go at BC High, I tried a little bit of everything. I played Football, Basketball, and Baseball Freshman year. I played Baseball Sophomore year. Junior year, I did Indoor Track, and Baseball. Finally Senior year, I joined the Swim team, and played Baseball. I also was the Stage Crew Captain for the musical at BC High my Junior year, Percy Jackson The Lightning Thief, and I was an actor in the musical Senior year, Bright Star. Throughout the variety of sports and activities throughout BC High that I have been a part of, I loved being able to put myself into different experiences that I wouldn’t always expect, and being able to learn more about myself in them. I met so many great people that have had a huge impact on my life, and I have learned so much from those around me throughout all of these different teams that I have been a part of. Paying it forward is something that means a lot to me. Whether I get this scholarship or not, I will continue to pay it forward, and I will try my best to make others around me feel loved, seen, and a part of a community because that is one way that I can better the people around me.

Throughout my time at BC High, I have been heavily influenced by a club that I have been a part of named The Better Men Project. The Better Men Project actively talks about experiences of mental health in today’s society. Through school shootings, toxic masculinity, sexism, etc, I have had many circle led discussions that take a deep dive into the mental health aspect of these injustices in today’s society. Learning about these experiences and injustices are important in understanding the importance of asking for help and focusing on mental health. In the Better Men Project, we also share personal stories about our lives, the struggles and the triumphs. Having a space and a community of people that is built on trust, honesty, and being committed to justice in a harsh world, is a huge way to start spreading awareness to mental health. Not only has Better Men Project shared experiences of those around me with Mental Health regarding peer pressure, how to fit in, and ways to continuously improve oneself, it has also opened me to the times in my life where I have struggled, and held things in. For me, I have had a hard time with my relationships with my parents and sisters. My parents have been divorced for many years now, and it has never been great between them which sometimes makes me feel like I am in the middle of their fights. My sister, Sydni, does not have the ability to walk or talk because she was born with brain cancer that she ultimately defeated but had to face other challenges after the fact. Being in a family that seems to be broken up into sections has never been easy, and I have not always desired talking about it. The Better Men Project has allowed me to open up more about those experiences in my life and to find what good has come from it and what bad has come from it. Although there are definitely a list of negatives that come from our struggles in life, there can be unique positives. One of those positives in my life has been Camp Hole In The Wall Gang Camp. This camp is for families like mine who have or have had someone in their family with a life threatening illness. There is a week over the summer at camp called sibling week, which is for the siblings of the patients. This has been a place in my life where I can be vulnerable and open with others. It has been a place where mental health is so valued and where everyone is encouraged to be their true selves. Going through this journey of hiding from my mental health and facing it has really highlighted to me the importance of spreading awareness for the kid who was like me and for anyone in general because mental health is a conversation that isn’t meant to be had once. Focusing on mental health is something that I do and will do throughout my entire life, and it allows me to continue to improve myself and grow. With that being said, although I am not entirely sure of where I will be ten years from now, I know that mental health will always be something that I spread awareness about whether that is through my career or through being that person in someone else’s life to talk to. I plan on continuing to be involved with Camp Hole In the Wall every summer through volunteering. As someone who connected deeply with the counselors and volunteers at camp when I was a camper, I would love to be that counselor who can be there for however many campers possible, and to help make these hard experiences in life just a little bit easier with some more love.

Growing up I would tell you the opposite. I very much disliked math. It was always so hard for me, and I never seemed to understand any of it no matter how hard I tried. It just seemed to me like I didn’t get it, and I never would. Well, that completely changed after the 3rd grade. At my elementary school, 3rd grade, I had the best math teacher ever. She really helped me so much with the whole subject, and she had the most interesting ways to describe math and the subjects that we were doing to help me understand better, and it always worked. After the whole year of me being engaged and super excited to come into her class because she was the first teacher to get me excited about any subject in school, I continued to love math from there on out. Every year there was a big math contest throughout many different schools. Going into the 4th and 5th grades, I was completely caught up with my peers, if not ahead of them because of my love and interest in math. I thrived in class and made it to the final 2 candidates for being selected to represent the school during the math contest. Just missing being the selection, it didn't bring me down, it made me even more eager to learn math and continue to thrive in it. I got better and better. Still today, from random algebra to AP Calculus BC. Math has been my thing every single year going into the present day, and I always gravitate toward math whenever people ask me my favorite subject, or what I like to do outside of school, it's always something to do with math. I think math is so important because there is always an answer to find, and if you can remember the right steps to get there if you can have the ability to have the patience to double-check your work, you are essentially doing what is important in life. Moving forward in life it is important to make a smart decision, so double-checking yourself, looking for the right answers and decisions, and trusting where you go are so important, and those are all things that I learned from math. In 8th grade year, I was at a new school, and my teacher was somebody who loved math just like me. This was another year that was super important for me during math because I joined a math club, and I would always come to my teacher's class during free time to do random hard math problems on the board for fun, sometimes with a friend and do a competition. This teacher would tell me about how much she loves math, how hard Calculus was for her, and how she struggled during that time, so it made me wonder if I would ever make it to taking Calculus, and if I would not like math anymore because of it. Well, this past year I took AP Calculus AB, and this upcoming year I'm going to take AP Calculus BC, and I can confirm that Calc is a very hard course. Although it is very difficult, it is super interesting and just confirmed my love for math so much more. I realized I love the challenge, and trying to understand the why behind every step of the problem that I'm doing. It is super interesting, and just because it is very hard, I love trying my best every day in that class with my friends beside me.