An Infinite Contribution by Gabriel

An Infinite Contribution by Gabriel - April 2023 Scholarship Essay

“I’m ending it tonight.”

The day before my senior year of high school began, my best friend, Scott, confided in me that he intended to commit suicide. Frantically, I notified his family who were thankfully able to save him. The next few weeks left me distraught until I talked to Scott, who gave me clarity about the situation.

“It’s okay. I’m doing better now. Whatever happened, happened.”

Scott’s words taught me the importance of acceptance; I shouldn’t dwell on the past, but instead focus on improving the future. Therefore, I began brainstorming ideas to help prevent mental health disorders. To minimize human error, I wanted a solution that incorporated artificial intelligence.

I thought back to my experiences with computational problem-solving, prompting an epiphany of mine. At a previous internship of mine, computers utilized datasets to create models that effectively predicted the stock market—could they also predict mental illness? What if, for example, we developed technology that surveys patients about their mental state and proactively applies statistical analysis on their responses to detect mental-health emergencies? With the rise of data science, historically intractable problems may soon be relics of the past. Following my talk with Scott, I became determined to dedicate my studies in pursuit of solving such problems—not just for him, but for all those who suffer in silence. If I were to acquire infinite time and money, I would bring numerous ideas like these to fruition to perpetually benefit society. For instance, having many friends who unfortunately have dealt with racism, I hope to combat prejudice via technology; with infinite time and money, I could gather a team of people to develop algorithms that analyze Interpol databases to discern systematic biases in order to form a more fair and honorable police force. Additionally, by leveraging machine learning, I could strive to revolutionize education by providing custom-tailored academic plans for every student. With all my time and money, I'd aspire to benefit society through innovation.