In the sixth grade, I decided that I wanted to be an engineer, even though I had very little experience/exposure to engineering. I have yet to falter from said declaration, and I am currently pursuing many hands-on opportunities in educating myself on working in engineering. 

The fields of study that interest me the most are mechanical and environmental engineering. Mechanical, as described by my father, is very versatile/general, and would be a good place to start, even if I decided I wanted to enter a different field. Additionally, I have always had an interest in environmental topics/preservation. In the eight grade, I created and advertised an marine conservationist organization called “Battling Marine Murderers” for an English project. Although it was not a functional organization, I found myself very interested and passionate about things like marine pollution and conservation, and I am hoping to work again on similar research projects.

There are many programs for students my age to try and gain some exposure into the world of engineering. In the ninth grade, I took Pre-Engineering 1 at Leonardtown High School. The course was very informative, but unfortunately it was not hands-ons, because a majority of the year was virtual (COVID-19). Even when we returned, COVID regulations prevented us from doing many of the labs intended for the course. I am currently enrolled (2021-2023) in the Engineering program at the James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center (Tech Center). So far in the program, I have competed in three Engineering competitions. One competition was a regional competition which I did not place in. The others I competed in a team of three. My team placed 1st at the SkillsUSA Maryland State Competition in the Engineering Technology Design category. We continued onto the SkillsUSA national competition where we placed 4th. All of these classes and experiences have given me important insight into my potential career, and helped me to better my understanding of the different aspects of engineering.

There are also different opportunities outside of school that help me to learn and to shape my work ethic. In 2019, I attended the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Inspiring the Next Generation program (STEM-ING for short) at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The program included multiple STEM workshops, and a number of speakers with successful STEM careers who were women. Being 15, there are not many job opportunities, but the most consistent jobs I have had are babysitting and pet-sitting. Those, like any other jobs, stress the importance of keeping your commitments. If you make a commitment, you follow through, even if now you don't really want to do it or you'd rather do something else. 

After graduating high school, I plan on attending a four-year college or university. Virginia Tech, University of Colorado Boulder, and University of Maryland College Park are my top three contenders at the moment. I would like to expand my knowledge in specifics about the different fields of engineering, and explore the fields I am currently interested in (mechanical and environmental). It is important to me that I enter into a field that I am passionate about. College is likely to provide me with the resources and classes to gain this information.  

After achieving my career goal I hope to have a positive impact on my community. Engineering is a very critical part of our society, it develops and fluctuates with our needs. The innovations of modern engineering are what makes our society function. There are a variety of different applications to environmental science/engineering. Alternative energy sources and the preservation of the environment is very important, and I hope to work in similar fields.