Ever since middle school, I have had my sights set on the fascinations of technology and engineering. In 8th grade, I took a Computer Science Principles class that introduced both the basics of JavaScript coding and problem-solving. It jump-started my pursuit of engineering and computer sciences and from there, I have attempted to take any classes that would cover these broad topics. I have not narrowed down exactly what I want to do, but I want to major in Computer Engineering and get a job in within this field.

Throughout all of high school so far, and even reaching back into middle and elementary school years, I have been preparing for these topics of interest. Whether I knew it or not back then, I was setting myself up for the future. Starting back in third grade, I joined my elementary school’s Gifted and Talented (GT) program. This program was meant to be a step-up from the ordinary curriculum that the majority of students followed. In the fourth and fifth grade, I joined my school’s math team, which competed in an annual math competition. We won first place both of the years that I participated, and in fourth grade, I placed third overall out of more than 150 competitors. Moving on, middle school featured a wider variety of classes that I could take in order to further progress my learning. During my three years there, I took all of the possible accelerated/honors classes I could, participated in the math team for two years, and took the aforementioned computer science class. After graduating to high school, I started to home in on computer science/engineering more than before. I took both of the AP Computer Science classes offered by my school, various advanced math classes, and multiple other AP classes as well. From 2022-2024, I took an Engineering course at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center, on top of a stacked schedule of AP classes. All of the mentioned classes, even dating back to elementary school days, have paved the way for my interest in engineering and technology. They taught me important skills, such as how to manage my time and make quick decisions, as well as furthered my knowledge in various subjects.

Outside of school, I have been taught lessons from various other experiences such as sports, volunteering, and summer internships. Starting in 2022, I became a very involved, passionate, and competitive runner. Starting in that year, I joined the school track team in the spring, the cross-country team in the fall, and the indoor track team in the winter. I performed very well in each of these seasons, for them being my very first attempts at running. I ran in various competitive invitationals, conference meets, regional meets, and state meets within my first few seasons, and continued on with those three sports throughout the rest of high school. Being on these sports teams has taught me how to build strong, long-lasting relationships and how to have camaraderie with others. They have also shown me how I can set reasonable yet challenging goals, and work towards achieving them - a priceless ability. Aside from sports, I have also benefitted a lot from volunteering, summer internships, and job opportunities. The past few years, I have volunteered for the Toys for Tots program provided in my area, which aims to include impoverished families/children in celebrating Christmas by fundraising for donations and brand-new Christmas presents. I also joined National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) from 2022-2024 and participated in various volunteer events, such as Math mentor night at a nearby elementary school, and socializing with veterans at the nearby veteran's home. Additionally, starting in the summer of 2022 and going through the 2023-2024 school year, I worked an internship position at Global Management and Technology Resources Inc. (GTMR), and I am still currently employed there as a Lab Tech. I have learned traditional electrical engineering jargon, basic circuit-building skills, entry-level accounting and filing practices, rudimentary organization skills such as effectively using Microsoft Excel and Access to inventory, and many more crucial workplace skills such as teamwork and etiquette. These experiences as a whole have been indispensable to the development of my character, my intelligence, and my skillset, all of which are integrated into my future pursuit of computer engineering. 

After going to college and pursuing a career in computer engineering, I want to have a positive impact on my world. I want to use my knowledge to expedite or help facilitate some sort of process. Whether that is helping develop new warfare technology for the military, making wheelchairs easier to use, or building a system that makes GPS more accurate in certain places, I want to make sure the world is a more convenient, inclusive, and efficient place.