Family by Colin

Family by Colin - April 2024 Scholarship Essay

Growing up in a household with strong Chinese cultural influences, the projected path for my future career was quite set: becoming a doctor. Although inspired to help those suffering from the same cancer that my grandparents passed away from, the thought of blood and operating rooms sparked no interest.
However, since a kid, I have loved playing with computers. Whether it was playing Minecraft or watching YouTube, it was a hobby that I could spend hours on. Thus, when during the summer of ninth grade, when I was introduced to Python, it was something so fascinating I could not give up. This experience exposed me to the fascinating realm of algorithmic coding and syntax errors. Little did I know that my initial projects developing calculators and sorting lists were merely the start of my software engineering journey.
As I delved deeper into coding, my passion extended far beyond the confines of classroom teaching and YouTube videos. I began to explore online forums and engage in discussion chats, where I learned about Selenium—a Python package which automates clicking and typing. Using this tool, I developed numerous checkout applications to reduce checkout time at retail sites like Walmart, Target, and Amazon.
I soon realized I could create a business by licensing my creations to smaller companies and individual clients. However, a challenge emerged—my parents and their worries.
Today, this business has achieved a customer base exceeding 50,000 across more than five countries. Starting as a hobby, I never would have guessed the amount of support and growth my business would receive in the last three-years. Although I still suffer from the regret of being unable to stand by the last moments of my grandparents, I have donated over $60,000 to cancer treatment foundations to help the people who are going through what I did as a kid. The amazing messages and feedback I receive allow me to keep on working and continue helping others.