Prioritizing an entire lifetime of experiences, thoughts, emotions, achievements, hopes and dreams into a white box with a capacity of 900 words seems nothing less than a daunting task. Why then tackle this task? Why not avoid it altogether and seek comfort instead? These are the same questions that every individual grapples with in every task they undertake. How someone decides to answer these questions determines how they develop as an individual. Through this observation, it becomes evident that, in life, one can choose to shy away from the fear and insecurity that comes with challenges or embrace them in an attempt to accomplish something that could be truly beneficial. Growing up, I sought the first approach. Throughout elementary and middle school, I just wanted to complete the tasks presented to me and do the bare minimum to achieve what I considered an acceptable outcome. I did it pretty easily and continued that way through my freshman year of high school. However, during this time, I found myself becoming very numb to everything around me. The sensation was that of a lost fervor; a blunt flame that once burned like an inspiring burst of light. I became aware of this feeling and began to look within myself for the source. I started observing my daily interactions, habits, and activities until the problem slowly dawned on me: I had no inner drive because I wasn't looking for any challenge. I let each week pass with little variation and new experiences were few and far between. I lived in a world of security and regularity, and within that world I had allowed myself to forget one of the most crucial points of a being's existence: the pursuit of passion. It was from that point of realization that I decided to... .... half of the paper ...... gets stuck along the way. Unfortunately, the first and perhaps most damaging of these blocks is the one I cannot overcome on my own. The financial barrier I face entering Ohio State's downtown Columbus campus is truly great. For my aspirations to be cut short by a few dollar signs is something that can literally be heartbreaking, but I won't let my financial situation stop me from doing my best to get to where I want to go. I really can't say how grateful I am to have had the assistance I have had to get to this point, because without it I wouldn't even be writing this statement right now. I just want to be able to look back at a new audience, full of brand new people and experiences, and as I take hold of my engineering degree, I know that I finally have the opportunity and ability to give back and reach out to help others just like I was helped along the way.