Janean D. Watkins Overcoming Adversity Scholarship

In elementary school, everyone used to joke that I had OCD because I was overly organized. If only I could have guessed then that I would actually be diagnosed with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder only a few years later. I spent two years of my high school life not being able to touch my couch, hug my parents, and I almost went to a mental health hospital. I spent hours every night working through exposures and years working with my therapist fighting to gain control back over my life and my brain. I am proud to declare that my OCD is no longer on the medical scale, but it has been a long road to get here. In sixth grade, I visited a local university campus for a student showcase at the College of Engineering at my engineering teacher’s recommendation. I can still remember feeling so small in comparison to the buildings and amongst the college students and their innovative projects. That same year, I began Project Lead the Way, my school’s engineering track of classes. That track and university visit propelled me into middle and high school engineering classes where I have had the opportunity to study aerospace, robotics, mechanics, coding, and manufacturing. I could have never imagined that time would lead me to such a passion for engineering, process, design, and outcomes that both work or do not work… yet. As I look toward my future, I am on a mission to contribute significantly to the mechanical engineering field. I envision myself at the forefront of groundbreaking research and development in mechanical engineering. Whether it's designing innovative propulsion systems, crafting cutting-edge materials, or conceptualizing next-generation technology, I am ready to make significant contributions that push the boundaries of what is currently deemed possible. As a person, I strive to leave people better than I found them, know I can do hard things, and to embrace and learn from mistakes. These are things I was raised to do, and I love empowering others to know the same. I am someone who is committed to becoming a life-long learner and who values the quality of experiences I can help create for others. It's scary for me to think that my OCD almost took all of those dreams away from me. I know I could not have made it this far without my family and friends who helped me learn how to accept support during a hard time, but even now it is hard to see any aspect of this experience as positive. I KNOW that my journey with OCD will be lifelong, and in that way, I am not sure I will ever be done learning the lessons it will teach me. But for now, I'm upright, and on the path that I know will allow me to use my natural gifts and be a catalyst to create the change I have always wanted to in the world. And I am grateful and excited to see what comes next.