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@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ location / {
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# Transcript PDF
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location /transcript {
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try_files /transcripts/FallTranscript2025.pdf =404;
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try_files /transcripts/JanuaryTranscript2026.pdf =404;
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}
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# Brag sheet PDF
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@@ -23,6 +23,11 @@ location /wright-application {
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try_files /wright-application/main.pdf =404;
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}
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location /wright-application-full {
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try_files /wright-application/WrightFinal.pdf =404;
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}
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location /rsi-application-beta {
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try_files /rsi-application/main.pdf =404;
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resume/main.pdf
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resume/main.pdf
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\vspace{0.10 cm}
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\begin{onecolentry}
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\begin{highlights}
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||||
\item GPA: 4.73/4.0 (\href{https://resume.keshavanand.net/transcript}{View Unnoficial Transcript})
|
||||
\item Class Rank: \textbf{1/1273}
|
||||
\item GPA: 4.78571/4.0, Unweighted: 4.0/4.0 (\href{https://resume.keshavanand.net/transcript}{View Unnoficial Transcript})
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||||
\item Class Rank: \textbf{2/1255}
|
||||
\item \textbf{Current Coursework:} AP Chemistry, American Studies (AP US History + AP English Language), Digital Electronics, AP Physics I, Calculus III (via Collin College)
|
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\item SAT: 1550/1600 — Reading 760/800, Maths 790/800
|
||||
\item ACT: 36/36 — Maths 36, Reading 36, Science 36, English 35
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|
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BIN
transcripts/JanuaryTranscript2026.pdf
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transcripts/JanuaryTranscript2026.pdf
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wright-application/WrightFinal.pdf
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wright-application/WrightFinal.pdf
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@@ -1,40 +1,29 @@
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\begin{enumerate}
|
||||
\item \textbf{First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics, Co-Captain, Software Lead} (9th-11th Grade): Helped found and lead
|
||||
community robotics team with fully custom robot design and software. Won multiple local awards for software and
|
||||
hardware innovation, becoming regional and state finalist alliance team, and global top-30 for the autonomous section.
|
||||
\item \textbf{Member of School Science Fair Club} (9th-11th Grade): Completed independent research projects in engineering
|
||||
and computer science. 2x International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) finalist, and 3rd in Robotics and
|
||||
Intelligent Machines at ISEF (\$1200 award). Won 1st in category at school, district, and regional science fairs competitions.
|
||||
Awarded multiple special awards, including TI Best Computing Project and US Air Force Certificate of Recognition.
|
||||
\item \textbf{Officer of School Science Fair Club} (10th, 11th Grade): President and Vice President of school's science fair
|
||||
club, organizing meetings, mentoring new members, and leading outreach events for STEM awareness in local community.
|
||||
Conducted
|
||||
biweekly lunch meetings to guide students through project ideation, research methods, and presentation skills.
|
||||
\item \textbf{Speech and Debate} (9th-11th Grade): National (NSDA) and State quarterfinalist in Impromptu Speaking, and National
|
||||
octofinalist in Extemporaneous Commentary. Won local and regional tournaments in Duo Acting and Extemporaneous
|
||||
Speaking. Coded powerful timer utility and congress PO app for team use, with positive testimonials from state and national
|
||||
competitors.
|
||||
\item \textbf{Keyboardist for Local Band} (9th, 11th Grade): Performed as a self-taught keyboardist for a local band with popular ticketed shows and
|
||||
over millions of views on YouTube. Revenue from performances donated to local charities, raising over 200K through various
|
||||
platforms to support people in need of support for medical expenses. Volunteered over 100 hours for events, and
|
||||
earned President's Volunteer Service Award Silver (9th Grade).
|
||||
\item \textbf{Original Music Arrangement and Composition} (9th-11th Grade): Created original film music arrangements and compositions
|
||||
using fully self-taught music production skills, keyboard, and bass guitar. Collaborated with local artists and renowned Tamil film
|
||||
music composer to produce musical compositions and melodies.
|
||||
\item \textbf{NHS Member} (10th-11th Grade): Volunteered through judging local Middle School Debate Tournaments, organizing
|
||||
school-wide service events, and tutoring underclassmen in STEM subjects. Produced valuable educational resources (through
|
||||
school's tutoring program) to help with Calculus and Chemistry understanding.
|
||||
\item \textbf{NHS Technology Officer} (11th Grade): Technology Officer for largest NHS chapter worldwide, coding a React-based
|
||||
full-stack web portal to streamline member management, event coordination, and service hour tracking. Hours are tracked through
|
||||
accurate QR code scanning, saved into Firebase database for easy and secure access by officers and members.
|
||||
\item \textbf{Math Club} (9th-11th Grade): Competed in local math competitions, including AMC 10/12 and AIME (1x qualifier).
|
||||
\item \textbf{Founder of School's Cricket Club} (11th Grade): Founded and organized school's first competitive cricket club,
|
||||
playing local high school teams. Helped organize and run practice, matches, and manage team logistics. Spread the sport to over 30
|
||||
club members 15 new players.
|
||||
\item \textbf{Owner of Class Discord Server} (9th-11th Grade): Founded and managed a Discord server for studying and resource sharing.
|
||||
Supported over 150 active members with strict moderation, with support from school teachers.
|
||||
Implemented structured channels for various subjects with a live voice channel for group study sessions.
|
||||
\item \textbf{First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics, Co-Captain, Software Lead} (9th–11th Grade): Co-captain for a community robotics team with fully custom robot design and software. Won multiple local awards for software and hardware innovation, becoming a regional and state finalist alliance team and ranked top-30 globally for the autonomous section. Mentored over 200 students across various platforms.
|
||||
|
||||
%Math, CS,
|
||||
\item \textbf{Simply Stir Research Project} (9th Grade): Completed independent research on harvesting thermal energy to power a self-stirring pot. Won 1st place in Engineering Technology at regional science fair, within the top 9 overall projects (\$300). Also won US Metric Association Best SI Units and US Air Force Certificate of Recognition. Advanced as a finalist to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{Gait Guardian Research Project} (10th Grade): Completed independent research on using machine learning and signal processing for Parkinson’s Disease patients. Won 1st place in Systems Software at regional science fair and 2nd Grand Prize Overall (\$400). Won TI Best Computing Project, and advanced as an ISEF finalist. Won 3rd in Robotics and Intelligent Machines at ISEF (\$1200).
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{School Science Fair Club, Officer} (10th–11th Grade): Served as Underclassmen President and later as Vice-President of the school’s science fair club, organizing meetings, mentoring new members, and leading STEM outreach events in the local community. Conducted biweekly lunch meetings to guide students through project ideation, research methods, and presentation skills.
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{Speech and Debate} (9th–11th Grade): National (NSDA) and State Quarterfinalist in Impromptu Speaking; National Octofinalist in Extemporaneous Commentary. Won local and regional tournaments in Duo Acting and Extemporaneous Speaking. Developed a custom timer utility and Congress presiding officer app used by state and national competitors.
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{Keyboardist for Local Band} (9th–11th Grade): Performed as a self-taught keyboardist in a local band with ticketed shows and millions of views on YouTube. Donated performance revenue to charity, raising over \$200,000 to support medical expenses. Volunteered more than 100 hours and earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award (Silver).
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{Original Music Arrangement and Composition} (9th–11th Grade): Composed and arranged original film music using self-taught skills in music production, keyboard, and bass guitar. Collaborated with local artists and a renowned Tamil film music composer.
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{NSDA Certified Debate Judge} (9th–11th Grade): Judged local Middle School debate tournaments in a fair and unbiased manner. Judged events include Extemporaneous Speaking, Congressional Debate, Public Forum Debate, Duo Interpretation, Dramatic Interpretation, and Original Oratory.
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{ACE Tutoring Officer} (10th–11th Grade): Tutoring officer for Calculus and Math in 10th grade, and Chemistry in 11th grade. Published study material and practice tests for studying students, and hosted live review sessions for live Q\&A. As officer, managed other guides to ensure that resources are top-quality.
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{NHS Technology Officer} (11th Grade): Served as Technology Officer for the largest NHS chapter worldwide. Built a React-based full-stack web portal to streamline member management, event coordination, and service hour tracking using QR codes and a Firebase database.
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{National Honor Society (NHS) Member} (10th–11th Grade):
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{Math Club} (9th–11th Grade): Competed in local math competitions, including AMC 10/12 and AIME (1× qualifier).
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{Founder of School’s Cricket Club} (11th Grade): Founded and organized the school’s first competitive cricket club, coordinating practices, matches, and logistics. Expanded participation to over 30 members and introduced 15 new players to the sport.
|
||||
|
||||
\item \textbf{Owner of Class Discord Server} (9th–11th Grade): Founded and managed a class Discord server for studying and resource sharing. Supported over 150 active members with structured subject channels, live study sessions, and teacher-supported moderation.
|
||||
\end{enumerate}
|
||||
@@ -1,31 +1,15 @@
|
||||
\begin{enumerate}
|
||||
\item I founded the Cricket Club at my current high school. As a founder, I was responsible for
|
||||
popularizing the club itself by recruiting members and advertising through Instagram and word-of-mouth. I
|
||||
organized practice sessions and I had to act as both a player and a coach, teaching new players the rules and
|
||||
pushing them through the sport's steep learning curve. Each practice itself proved a hurdle, as I had to
|
||||
find enough people to play at a common place and time, manage equipment, and ensure that everyone was engaged.
|
||||
Due to the nature of a first year club, I had to help bridge the high delta between experienced and new players,
|
||||
ensuring that everyone had fun while still being challenged. Then, I had to organize matches with other
|
||||
local high school teams, which involved coordinating with their club leaders, arranging transportation, and
|
||||
managing logistics. Through sponsorships from local businesses and colleges (UTD, RICE, DBU), I was able to
|
||||
fund equipment and provide support for club matches.
|
||||
\item I serve as the Co-Captain and Software Lead for my school's First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics team.
|
||||
As the only programmer of our initially rookie team, I was fully writing out every line of code for our robot.
|
||||
However, funds became a major hurdle, so I also filled in to help secure a \$750 sponsorship from Texas Instruments
|
||||
through outreach events. As our team grew, I had to take on recruiting of new members, carefully selecting students who
|
||||
would be a good fit for our programming and engineering needs. Once our team reached 5 programmers, I fully
|
||||
transformed our repository into a GitHub organization, with multiple repositories
|
||||
for each team member to experiment with
|
||||
hands-on. I also had to delegate specific tasks and manage deadlines to ensure that our software development stayed on track.
|
||||
For the FTC competition, I was also in charge
|
||||
of documenting our software iterations and innovations, which proved crucial in winning multiple awards
|
||||
for software design and innovation.
|
||||
\item I am the Vice President (and former underclassmen president) of my school's Science Fair Club.
|
||||
As an officer, it is my role to fully lead and plan our club's biweekly lunch meetings. This involves brainstorming engaging
|
||||
activities with other officers, and preparing 35-40 minutes detailed presentations on various aspects of science fair projects.
|
||||
I have prepared extensive materials on project brainstorming, project methodology, data analysis, and trifold tips to help guide
|
||||
over 90 active club members. Additionally, I help students one-on-one through email or in-person (after meetings) to share
|
||||
my experience to help students make the right decisions. Finally, as a student who has been intimidated by
|
||||
the science fair process, I plan and cater my presentations to help lower the barrier to entry for new students and underclassmen,
|
||||
recruiting members by making science fair more approachable.
|
||||
\item I am the founder and president of the Cricket Club at my current high school. I identified a gap in our school's athletic program and built the Cricket Club into a sustainable organization with over 25 active members. As the founder, I marketed the club through Instagram campaigns and personal networks to recruit members. I planned and implemented biweekly practices while serving as both a player and coach, helping new members overcome the sport’s steep learning curve. This required coordinating schedules and logistics for more than 25 members per practice. As a first-year organization, I also worked to bridge the skill gap between experienced players and beginners to ensure an inclusive and enjoyable experience for all members.
|
||||
|
||||
\item I serve as Co-Captain and Software Lead for my school's First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics team. As the sole programmer on our initially rookie team, I developed the entire competition robot codebase from scratch. When funding became a challenge, I secured a \$750 sponsorship from Texas Instruments through multi-faceted outreach. As the team expanded, I recruited new members based on programming and engineering needs. Once the team grew to five programmers, I restructured our workflow by creating a GitHub organization with multiple repositories to support collaboration and version control. I delegated tasks and managed development timelines, and I led documentation of software iterations and technical innovations that contributed to winning the Innovate and Control awards.
|
||||
|
||||
\item I serve as Vice President (and former underclassmen president) of my school's Science Fair Club. I lead biweekly lunch meetings for over 90 active members, collaborating with fellow officers to design engaging activities and delivering 35--40 minute presentations on key aspects of science fair projects. I have developed instructional materials covering project brainstorming, methodology, data analysis, and trifold design. I also provide one-on-one mentorship via email and in-person consultations, helping students navigate project decisions based on my competition experience. Drawing from my own initial intimidation with the process, I design presentations to lower the barrier to entry and make science fair more accessible to new students.
|
||||
|
||||
\item From halfway through my 9th grade to the present, I have founded, owned, and maintained a Discord study server for my school's class of 2027. As the server owner, I oversee eight democratically elected moderators and have implemented systems to ensure all members have a voice in decision-making. Because online disputes can escalate quickly, I frequently act as a neutral arbitrator to mediate conflicts. I have invested over 300 hours into managing the server, which at its peak supported over 50\% of the student body and more than 100 active members.
|
||||
|
||||
\item I serve as the Chemistry Officer (and former Math Officer) for my school's tutoring club, ACE. My primary responsibility is supervising student volunteers who create Chemistry review materials by delegating units and topics and reviewing all resources for accuracy and clarity. I also organize and monitor live AP Chemistry tutoring sessions, both in person and via Zoom, serving 20--30 students per session. My most demanding responsibility is stepping in to complete unfinished materials or host sessions when volunteers are unavailable, requiring flexible availability to ensure uninterrupted academic support.
|
||||
|
||||
\item I serve as the Technology Officer for my school's National Honor Society chapter. In addition to managing technical responsibilities, I moderate service events involving over 200 student volunteers, overseeing participant behavior and ensuring effective execution of service activities. I also represent my chapter at leadership conferences such as LEAD, where I collaborate with officers from other NHS chapters to exchange and develop leadership strategies.
|
||||
|
||||
\item In my freshman year, I served as an officer for my school's Math Club. I presented approximately one-quarter of weekly meetings to over 15 students, designing and delivering engaging lessons on mathematical applications such as card tricks and calculator programming. I was also responsible for maintaining detailed attendance records to track eligibility requirements for the Mu Alpha Theta honor society.
|
||||
\end{enumerate}
|
||||
27
wright-application/essays/stem.tex
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27
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% FTC, TEG, GaitGuardian, AIME + Contributing Solutions to AOPS, ACE, Full Server Setup, Hacking?, Science Bowl?, Debate Congress APp, MIDI technology??,
|
||||
|
||||
In the last three years, STEM activities have been the focus of my high school experience, both through and outside of school.
|
||||
I have had a strong passion towards STEM activities since middle school, and I believe that these experiences have prepared me
|
||||
to fully utilize the research platforms and opportunities provided by AFRL.
|
||||
|
||||
\begin{enumerate}
|
||||
\item From 9th to 11th grade, I served as Co-Captain and Software Lead for my community's First Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics team. Starting freshman year with no programming experience, I taught myself Java through the FTC SDK and progressed to developing fully functional robot code that contributed to our team reaching the State Finals and winning the Area Innovate Award for a fully automated hang mechanism. Over the following two years, I significantly deepened my technical contributions. By applying calculus concepts from the classroom, I engineered a custom autonomous pathing system using trigonometry, inverse kinematics, and PID control for precise robot movement. I also developed a custom TensorFlow object detection model, achieving a 100\% match success rate across all competitions. These innovations helped our team win our league championship, captain an Area Finalist alliance, and rank in the global top 30 for autonomous performance.
|
||||
|
||||
\item In 9th grade, my independent Science Fair research project qualified as a finalist at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The project originated from a simple idea: using waste thermal energy from a cooking pot to power a mechanical stirring system. Through this process, I learned about thermoelectric generators (TEGs) and the Seebeck effect. Applying CAD and simulation concepts from my engineering coursework, I designed an aluminum enclosure integrating a TEG, heat sink, and motor to convert heat energy into mechanical motion. I also developed an electrical measurement system using voltage and current sensors to analyze performance relative to temperature differentials. My prototype won 1st place in Engineering Technology at my regional science fair, along with special awards from the U.S. Metric Association and the U.S. Air Force Certificate of Recognition. At ISEF, I presented my work to professors and domain experts from around the world and received valuable feedback to improve my design.
|
||||
|
||||
\item In 10th grade, my Science Fair research project earned 3rd place in Robotics and Intelligent Machines at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Motivated by relatives affected by Parkinson’s Disease, I explored machine learning approaches to assist with gait and tremor analysis. Using publicly available datasets, I designed a novel signal processing algorithm capable of accurately classifying gait patterns with low inference latency. After training and testing multiple models, I expanded the project by creating a physical prototype. With guidance from my engineering teacher, I designed a custom PCB featuring an ESP32 microcontroller and an IMU sensor capable of performing real-time inference. Through independent study of academic literature and online tutorials, I taught myself Python and C++. Initially a multiple regional winner, the project won 1st place in Systems Software, the TI Best Computing Project Award, and 2nd Grand Prize, qualifying me for ISEF for a second year. At ISEF, it earned 3rd place in Robotics and Intelligent Machines, along with a \$1{,}200 award.
|
||||
|
||||
\item This year, I maintained a full-time home server by repurposing a decade-old laptop running Ubuntu Linux. Through hands-on experimentation, I self-learned bash scripting, networking, Linux administration, and service management. I deployed a Matrix messaging server for student communication, a Git server for code hosting, and an SSH service with a custom interactive shell displaying my portfolio. Despite more than one million automated attacks within two months, my hardened security measures prevented intrusion attempts, providing practical experience in networking, cybersecurity, and infrastructure management.
|
||||
|
||||
\item In 9th grade, I qualified for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) through the AMC 10 competition. Through self-study using online resources, I developed strong problem-solving skills focused on logical reasoning, speed, and optimization. I participated in and placed at multiple math competitions, including Purple Comet and Math League. I also contribute solutions on the Art of Problem Solving forum using \LaTeX{} to clearly communicate my reasoning. Additionally, I create Geometry and Calculus problems for use in my school’s ACE tutoring club.
|
||||
|
||||
\item During my 10th grade, I developed a real-time audio visualization program for live musical performances. I built a Python pipeline that converts MIDI input to audio using a piano VST, then processes the signal through the Librosa library to extract and visualize frequency content via Fast Fourier Transforms. By leveraging MIDI’s low-latency input, the system achieves near-instant visual response, enabling live performers to generate professional concert visuals without expensive hardware or post-production software.
|
||||
|
||||
\item During my 10th-grade year, I developed a web-based utility application for debate tournaments using React and TypeScript to address operational inefficiencies. I designed precise timing software with graphical notifications and audio alerts, as well as an automated presiding officer system using the WebSocket API to synchronize moderators and competitors in real time. The application has been adopted and positively reviewed by national finalists and members of my school’s debate team.
|
||||
|
||||
\item Over the past three years, I completed four online courses covering Java, Bash, and Python. Because I did not receive formal instruction in programming languages, these courses were instrumental in enabling me to independently complete and extend my technical projects.
|
||||
|
||||
\item From 9th to 11th grade, I consistently practiced competitive programming by solving LeetCode and USACO problems in Java. Through this problem-oriented approach, I strengthened my understanding of arrays, recursion, data structures, and time complexity optimization.
|
||||
|
||||
\item In the fall of my 11th grade, I completed ethical hacking challenges on Hack The Box (HTB). Using a Kali Linux virtual machine, I gained root access on vulnerable machines, learning core cybersecurity concepts including enumeration, establishing footholds, and privilege escalation.
|
||||
\end{enumerate}
|
||||
13
wright-application/essays/work.tex
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13
wright-application/essays/work.tex
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|
||||
\begin{enumerate}
|
||||
\item I have been working for a local ticketed nonprofit band for three years as a keyboard player. As a musician, I am expected to fully practice my parts individually to a level of near-mastery. Each concert requires at least three to four section rehearsals, where I coordinate closely with other musicians in my section to ensure synchronization. Teamwork can be challenging, as each musician often has differing opinions on interpretation, but I have learned to contribute respectfully and avoid conflict by focusing discussions on the music itself. Full-band rehearsals are mandatory for every performance, and attendance is critical, as each musician contributes to the final cohesion of the piece. I have attended every rehearsal and performance without a single absence or reprimand. Although performances generate revenue through ticket sales, all proceeds are donated to local charities, and I take pride in knowing that my work supports those in need.
|
||||
|
||||
\item For three years, I have served as an NSDA-certified judge for middle school debate tournaments in my local area. My responsibilities include evaluating debaters on argumentation quality, speaking style, and providing constructive written feedback. Each tournament lasts an entire day, during which I often judge six or more rounds with minimal breaks. I am expected to remain focused and impartial throughout, as bias would undermine the integrity of the competition. Once I confirm availability, I am required to judge all assigned rounds, as tournaments depend on strict schedules. One of my greatest challenges has been setting aside personal political views when judging arguments I strongly agree or disagree with. I overcame this by prioritizing argument structure, evidence, and delivery over content. In addition to judging, I help write topics, review updated rules, and report behavioral incidents. Overall, I have judged over 50 rounds without a single absence, and I strive to be a fair and consistent adjudicator.
|
||||
|
||||
\item During my 11th grade, I volunteered as my school’s NHS Technology Officer. As my school has over 1{,}000 members in its NHS chapter, service hour logging must be handled digitally through a highly performant database. As Technology Officer, I am responsible for maintaining both the database and the full-stack portal UI used by members to log and track service hours. One of my duties is attending every service event hosted, as any technical failure could disrupt hour logging for hundreds of students. Additionally, handling sensitive student information, including emails and passwords, requires strict confidentiality. Given the number of students impacted by this system, I hold myself highly accountable and ensure consistent availability to debug and resolve technical issues.
|
||||
|
||||
\item In my 10th and 11th grades, I volunteered as a tutor to support struggling students at my high school. Through my school’s ACE tutoring program and my independently run study Discord server, I have supported students in Calculus, Chemistry, and History. Each session requires careful preparation to ensure concepts are explained intuitively. I have consistently received positive feedback and always prioritize student understanding and academic growth. Working with academically challenged students has required me to adapt my teaching methods, and I strive to guide students toward mastery of each subject.
|
||||
|
||||
\item For my FTC outreach, I volunteered as both a mentor and a field referee. As a mentor, my role is to keep students engaged and support their technical growth. Working primarily with middle school students, I guide them by providing curated resources such as documentation and instructional links so they can continue learning independently. As a field referee, my responsibility is to accurately track scored elements and penalties. Because fouls can be a source of controversy, I also mediate disputes between teams and handle referrals calmly and respectfully. I always strive to officiate fairly and uphold the integrity of the competition.
|
||||
|
||||
\item In my 9th grade, I founded a tutoring company to teach middle school students competitive mathematics. The service emphasized a problem-based approach rather than traditional topic-based instruction, focusing on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As the sole operator, I was responsible for recruiting clients, scheduling sessions, and preparing lesson plans.
|
||||
\end{enumerate}
|
||||
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@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
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||||
\usepackage{needspace} % for avoiding page brake right after the section title
|
||||
\usepackage{iftex} % check if engine is pdflatex, xetex or luatex
|
||||
\usepackage{xstring}
|
||||
\usepackage{pdfpages} % for including PDF pages
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
% Ensure that generate pdf is machine readable/ATS parsable:
|
||||
@@ -317,6 +318,43 @@ raiser/tutoring/community service/volunteer work). Explain your duties.
|
||||
|
||||
\end{onecolentry}
|
||||
|
||||
\vspace{0.2 cm}
|
||||
\hrule
|
||||
\vspace{0.2 cm}
|
||||
\textbf{Prompt 4:} Provide detailed examples from high school that showcase your interest or participation in STEM platforms, such as FIRST Lego League, robotics
|
||||
competitions, science fairs, Science Olympiad, Math Olympiad, science/math clubs, 4-H competitions, etc. If your school does not offer these,
|
||||
provide detailed information on other hobbies/activities that demonstrate your interest in STEM, such as working with mechanical or electrical
|
||||
devices, building computers as a hobby, programming/coding skills, volunteering at a medical center, tutoring science/math, etc. Provide specific
|
||||
information that demonstrates your skills and capabilities in your area/s of interest.
|
||||
|
||||
\begin{onecolentry}
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
\vspace{0.2 cm}
|
||||
\input{essays/stem.tex}
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
\end{onecolentry}
|
||||
\vspace{0.2 cm}
|
||||
\hrule
|
||||
\vspace{0.2 cm}
|
||||
\textbf{Prompt 5: }Describe any paid or volunteer work experience and include your responsibilities. Provide examples of strong work ethic (such as no unexcused
|
||||
absences or reprimands, completes assigned tasks, works well with others, etc). If no formal work experience, provide detailed description of the
|
||||
effort involved in a major school project (include grade awarded, teamwork involved, how you overcame challenges).
|
||||
|
||||
\begin{onecolentry}
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
\vspace{0.2 cm}
|
||||
\input{essays/work.tex}
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
\end{onecolentry}
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
\includepdf[pages=-]{stem-essay/main.pdf}
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
\end{document}
|
||||
|
||||
BIN
wright-application/stem-essay/main.pdf
Normal file
BIN
wright-application/stem-essay/main.pdf
Normal file
Binary file not shown.
122
wright-application/stem-essay/main.tex
Normal file
122
wright-application/stem-essay/main.tex
Normal file
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
|
||||
\documentclass[12pt, letterpaper]{article}
|
||||
|
||||
% Packages:
|
||||
\usepackage[
|
||||
top=0.5in,
|
||||
bottom=0.75in,
|
||||
left=0.75in,
|
||||
right=0.75in,
|
||||
headheight=0pt,
|
||||
headsep=0pt,
|
||||
footskip=0.4in
|
||||
]{geometry}
|
||||
\usepackage{times} % Times New Roman font
|
||||
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
|
||||
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
|
||||
\usepackage{setspace} % for single spacing
|
||||
\usepackage{titlesec} % for customizing section titles
|
||||
\usepackage[dvipsnames]{xcolor}
|
||||
\definecolor{primaryColor}{RGB}{0, 79, 144}
|
||||
\usepackage[
|
||||
pdftitle={Wright Scholar Essay},
|
||||
pdfauthor={Keshav Anand},
|
||||
pdfcreator={LaTeX},
|
||||
colorlinks=false,
|
||||
hidelinks
|
||||
]{hyperref}
|
||||
\usepackage{iftex}
|
||||
\usepackage{microtype} % Better text rendering
|
||||
|
||||
% Ensure PDF is machine readable:
|
||||
\ifPDFTeX
|
||||
\input{glyphtounicode}
|
||||
\pdfgentounicode=1
|
||||
\fi
|
||||
|
||||
% Settings:
|
||||
\pagestyle{empty} % no header or footer
|
||||
\setlength{\parindent}{0.5in} % standard paragraph indentation
|
||||
\setlength{\parskip}{6pt} % no space between paragraphs
|
||||
\singlespacing % single spacing
|
||||
\frenchspacing % Better spacing after periods
|
||||
|
||||
% Custom title format for essay topic
|
||||
\titleformat{\section}
|
||||
{\normalfont\fontsize{12}{14.4}\selectfont\bfseries}
|
||||
{}
|
||||
{0pt}
|
||||
{}
|
||||
\titlespacing{\section}{0pt}{0pt}{6pt}
|
||||
|
||||
\begin{document}
|
||||
|
||||
\begin{center}
|
||||
\textbf{\large Wright Scholar Essay (Topics 1 and 3)}
|
||||
\end{center}
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
|
||||
\vspace{12pt}
|
||||
28 Squiggly red underlines. Nearly every line of my code had errors. Null
|
||||
pointers, incompatible types, undefined variables, Gradle sync errors: I had
|
||||
encountered them all. It was February 2024, my freshman year, and we had ten
|
||||
minutes to take the field for our First Tech Challenge (FTC) League Finals.
|
||||
My heart pounded as keys clattered beneath my flying fingers. My code was
|
||||
broken, and for the finals, it had to work. The merciless clock ticked away,
|
||||
and with seconds to go, I finally compiled the code. There was no time to
|
||||
test, hardly any to breathe. We took the field, and my finger hovered over
|
||||
the play button. Time paused. The buzzer sounded, and I pressed play. Success.
|
||||
In two minutes and thirty seconds, we won.
|
||||
|
||||
Seven months earlier, I didn't know what a variable was. I was fully into
|
||||
music, and programming was yet to cross my radar. When my friend started a
|
||||
robotics team, I joined on a whim. It was that abrupt decision that started
|
||||
my journey into robotics. Progress was painstakingly slow; it took me two
|
||||
full months to make a motor turn. But gradually, I became hooked. Like a
|
||||
sponge, I absorbed everything: tutorials, documentation, and even Stack
|
||||
Overflow threads. Eventually, I taught myself enough Java to become a
|
||||
functional FTC programmer.
|
||||
|
||||
As the season progressed, we became a competitive team, and my knowledge was
|
||||
expanding in parallel. On that competition day, something just clicked. It
|
||||
wasn't the win that truly made me happy. It was the realization that my own
|
||||
code produced tangible outputs. At that very moment, I knew that I wanted to
|
||||
continue working in a STEM field, and I was ready to keep coding on.
|
||||
|
||||
But that readiness was tested in September 2024. Somewhat naively, I decided
|
||||
to build a machine learning model to predict gait patterns in Parkinson's
|
||||
Disease for my sophomore-year Science Fair project. The only problem is that
|
||||
I had no clue how. So I dove in: Python syntax, NumPy arrays, signal filtering,
|
||||
feature extraction, and model architectures. I had entered unfamiliar territory,
|
||||
and each concept I learned brought new confusion. After two months of relentless
|
||||
reading, coding, and debugging, I managed to transform raw sensor data into a
|
||||
working classification model. Somewhere between the first error message and
|
||||
the final 96\% accuracy, I had begun to absorb a new discipline.
|
||||
|
||||
I could have stopped there, but I realized that a working model on my laptop
|
||||
wasn't going to help any Parkinson's patients, and I needed to embed my model
|
||||
into a complete hardware device. This task was beyond daunting, as I had to
|
||||
venture into the foreign territory of hardware and electrical engineering.
|
||||
With my engineering teacher guiding me, I eventually learned the basics. After
|
||||
countless 2 AM KiCAD tutorial sessions, I finally had a working design for a
|
||||
custom printed circuit board (PCB) housing a sensor and microcontroller. Two
|
||||
weeks later, my PCB arrived, and after soldering all my components, it didn't
|
||||
work. My heart sank. In desperation, I resoldered each joint carefully and
|
||||
tried again. Somehow, it worked. After writing some C++ software for the
|
||||
device, I had something that actually worked. The project eventually made it
|
||||
to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), placing 3rd in
|
||||
Robotics and Intelligent Machines. What struck me most wasn't the placement,
|
||||
but the fact that six months earlier, I wouldn't have understood any of it.
|
||||
|
||||
Throughout high school, I've taught myself many disciplines, from FTC
|
||||
programming in Java to designing circuits. The Wright Scholar program provides
|
||||
an opportunity to apply my skills to current and critical research. I'm
|
||||
intrigued by AFRL's Sensors Directorate, where I hope to deepen my understanding
|
||||
of signal processing while contributing to sensor exploitation technologies.
|
||||
I'm equally drawn to Human Performance Wing's work with multimodal sensing to
|
||||
monitor and enhance human performance. Moreso, the chance to work alongside
|
||||
domain experts who can accelerate my growth as an engineer and developer is
|
||||
invaluable to me. Whether working with sensor fusion or biomedical sensing,
|
||||
as a sponge eager to learn, AFRL is exactly where I need to be.
|
||||
|
||||
\end{document}
|
||||
Reference in New Issue
Block a user