Charlie Watts'

My Name is Charles Watts, and I am currently a senior at Leonardtown High School. Throughout my life, I have seen and worked in many different programs and career paths, but none have I felt more drawn to than engineering. Specifically, I am most fascinated by the field of marine engineering, and it has been my dream since a young age to pursue that path. I remember first being exposed to marine engineering while walking around the docks of Greenport, New York, staring at the enormous yachts from Jamaica, Bermuda, Great Britain, Italy, and many others looming above me and thinking of building one someday.  Once we returned home from our trip, I instantly started drafting a sketch of multiple boats, incorporating details I noticed in all of the different boats from the port. I knew that this was a passion of mine, and from that moment, I have always wanted to become a marine engineer to possibly design a boat of my own.

To make this dream of mine a possibility, I have taken math classes all the way up to AP Calculus, which I think will be very helpful in engineering. While also pushing myself in other classes such as AP Physics,  AP Seminar, and many others. I also enjoy math and problem-solving, which are important skills for becoming an engineer. So far, I have learned a lot about engineering and specifically the process that it takes to have a good, successful project, and some potential strategies and practices to solve difficult problems.

Throughout High school, I have participated in many extracurricular activities as well. For the past four years, I have played soccer and also participated in multiple clubs, including the fantasy football club, college recruitment club, spikeball club, and the most prestigious of all being the National Honor Society.  Playing soccer and participating in these different environments has helped me to better understand the aspects of leadership, teamwork, and communication. It was also a challenge to balance soccer practices with volunteering and or late-night bus rides back from away games with all of my schoolwork while still trying to excel at both activities to the best of my ability. Some of the extracurricular activities include volunteering at churches and schools, as well as volunteering for a summer camp. I also work over the summer as a deckhand for a local crabbing business, and also soccer sometimes everyday of the week.

I hope to attend a 4-year college after high school, where I can study marine engineering or another form of engineering to receive at least a bachelor's degree. After that, I will look for a job or start a marine manufacturing/repair business of my own. If I find a different path or this engineering class leads to an apprenticeship, I will possibly pursue that course instead. One front runner in the application process for me is the United States Coast Guard Academy which is a renounded school with some of the highest level of education in the country, while also training young men and women to become leaders of character throughout the country, which is something that would be an honor for me to be a part of.

After completing my future career, I will continue to have a hand in the pot for my passion and encourage/teach others about what I did so that they have the same opportunity to pursue similar paths as me. I will try to continue donating my time and money to organizations for charity or volunteering for local organizations for the betterment of our community. My overall goal is to leave a positive mark on the world and make sure to encourage and respect the people I meet and work with along the way.