For a long period of my early life, I wanted to be a quantum engineer. I heard the word in the 5th grade and was told it might be working with time travel and other sci-fi-like inventions. But when I got to high school, I realized what the subject actually was. Dealing with all those tiny particles and foreign ideas--none of it made sense to me, and not just from a lack of studying. I realized what I wanted to do from what I thought was quantum physics... was build. I always liked building things, especially mechanical aspects. I would always offer to help my dad put together small mechanisms or help fix the power outage. In Boy Scouts, we had a pinewood derby, and I would do the most I could (as a 3rd grader) to design the little wooden car myself. Just the other day, I helped my dad set up our new dishwasher. I liked to build, and it was even more fun when I could design the solution. Knowing this, I joined the Engineering class at JAFCTC to learn what kind of engineering I was looking for, and in my search, I stumbled across the Product Design path of Mechanical Engineering. I knew this was what I wanted to do. It sounded like a dream, a job to sit there and make an idea out of someone else's problems, design a puzzle with the idea, and then solve the puzzle. Since I found out about this path, it's been what I have wanted to do.

Ignoring the mechanical half of my brain, I also have an artistic side. Not necessarily drawing (I couldn't draw a stick figure to save my life) but performing. My first performance was in 2nd grade, though I can only remember since 4th grade, which was the show that got me into acting, Witches vs. Princesses. Unfortunately, I wasn't cast as a witch or a princess, but I was one of the only people there who put all my energy into that show. And not in a spiteful way; I just found it so entertaining to be on that stage and act my heart out. Skipping 5th grade because the new teacher did not want to do a show, I have done at least one show ever since, sometimes with my school, sometimes with a community theater. The artsy side of me I could engage with performing was unmatched by any other sport, club, or activity I have ever done. Not only artsy, but I got involved in the backstage part of the high school performances, which taught me even more soft skills. The collaboration to work with the rest of the crew, the leadership taught to be the Head of Props Crew, and the all-together need to listen to other people, the director, and myself, was something I could never learn from a different environment. 

Plans for the future can always change, and there is a chance mine might, but my current plan seems to be solid. After graduating high school, I'm looking at going to a "four-year" college, specifically RIT up in Rochester, New York. The reason I say "four-year", is because RIT has a co-op program, where a total of one year of classes is taken up to work on a job or internship, getting the opportunity to learn in a hands-on, realistic environment. But because I lose a year of classes, it has to be made up by taking one extra year at the school. However, the counter to this is that a master's degree is still a six-year experience, meaning I would only need one extra year after getting my bachelor's. And the reason I say this plan is solid is because of the chance I have of getting into RIT. After researching with my GPA and SAT scores, some secondary sources say I have a significant chance of being accepted--even more so after applying Early Decision. Applying ED at RIT has an acceptance rate of 93%. This is all that I could have hoped for. My top choice school is known as one of the best engineering schools in the nation, has many hands-on experiences, and provides job opportunities straight out of graduation... and it's a target, maybe even a safety school!

I'm not sure what I will do with my degrees once I manage to graduate college. Assuming I stick to the same "Product Design" plan, I will find an engineering job where I can use what I have learned to make a living. Solving the problems of my community, friends, family, and anyone else is what I have always wanted to do. And at this point, that plan seems quite viable.