I want to be a top tech because I want people to be able to trust me and understand what I'm doing, especially being a female in a male-dominated world. I’ve loved cars from a very young age, and I have certificates showing I could be a mechanic now, but that’s not all that I want to be. I want to be the trusted collision and repair shop or the restoration shop that you would rather go to. I want to build a reputation for being honest and trustworthy with my customers. Mechanics, for years, have been telling women and men the wrong price and the wrong parts that they need, just to get more money and trick people who do not know what they are doing. I feel as though women and men should have a person around them whom they can talk to about cars, or have someone they would feel comfortable bringing their car to, which would be me. So my definition of “top tech,” is someone who you trust to bring your car to, to do work on.
In an automotive restoration career, I want to own a shop, maybe starting as a mechanic, or collision and repair shop, and then work my way up to being a restoration shop. At that restoration shop, I would love to focus on replacing rusted metal, custom and factory painting cars, and widebody. I would love to be able to help others achieve the goal that they have with their car since I know it is a pretty hard journey to follow. I had to do it myself with my car for a few years, and I still am. I would enjoy prioritizing replacing rusted metal because I know how it feels to have a car with so much potential, yet have so many rusted parts; anything from a rusted frame, to rusted-out floorboards, to the entire structure being corroded. If I can help someone by fixing their car, then I will gladly do it.
I would like to also focus on working with custom or factory paint because I love seeing what can be made out of the car. I love the idea and the art behind painting cars. Whether there are designs in the paint or just a plain color, it makes me so excited, and to see that customer’s face would make me so ecstatic.
Learning to become a top tech in all the techniques to restore the beauty and vision of these works of art would mean the world to me. I am dedicated to becoming an expert at cutting, shaping and welding metal, becoming familiar with sourcing materials that are nearly impossible to find. Even learning to adjust a plan, have a “plan B,” when parts are unavailable, and bringing a vehicle owner’s vision to reality is my dream. This starts with learning the process of collision repair where I will learn mechanical restoration to repair or replace broken parts, as well as how to properly align a fender or hood and match a factory paint job. This learning continues a lifetime through bettering and perfecting these techniques.
The next step on this journey, for me, is at Pennsylvania College of Technology.
When I was 9, I started programming with Scratch. Unlike my peers who were interested in the gaming aspect, I was drawn by the coding. To me, the feeling of joy when a program ran without errors was irreplaceable. I was 11 when I learned to code in a purely text-based language (HTML). From there, my love for coding grew as I learned CSS, JavaScript, Arduino, Python, SQL, and Java.
I achieved perfect scores in Grok Learning’s WebComp Competition (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) and the NCSS Challenge (Python). I also won the Western BACE STEM Heroes Coding Challenge (Python).
I pursued every opportunity to enhance my knowledge in not only coding but other aspects of technology too. In 9th Grade, I enrolled in a Robotics elective at my school, where I learned new skills, including the technique of soldiering. I was awarded a Robotics Excellence Award.
In 10th Grade, I became interested in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its applications. Due to this interest, I collaborated with 2 students to ideate a solution to using AI to increase warning time before earthquakes. This experience allowed me to learn more about AI while practicing presenting to a panel of judges.
In 11th Grade, I noticed that my Computing class of 50 students only had 5 girls, including me. I realized that Engineering was a male-dominated field, encouraging me to strive to balance the gender distribution in Engineering. Technology is quickly being integrated into our lives and its importance was highlighted especially with the COVID-19 pandemic where the transition to remote learning and working from home revealed how impactful technology can be. I became fascinated by the growing number of applications in this field.
During that year, I created a website intending to globalize education access. I presented this website to a panel of judges for the Young ICT Explorers Competition.
I was selected to participate in a program called GoIT Girls by TATA Consultancy Services. Here I learned about Augmented Reality. I ideated a tool that could be used by shoppers to locate items with ease, through Augmented Reality. I later presented this to a panel of Judges from Woolworths (an Australian grocery store that annually earns $45 Billion).
I recently finished studying AP Computer Science A and completed several internships with Cognizant (Agile Methodology), KPMG (Data Analytics Consulting), SAP (Technical Consulting), pwc (Power BI ), and Goldman Sachs (Software Engineering).
Whether it be through coding, robotics, AI, or Augmented reality Engineering continues to fascinate me. I am currently working on publishing a book teaching HTML, CSS, and Python to inspire others, especially females, to join CS. Not only that, but I am also working on coding and self-publishing an app that helps students build time management and organizational skills that can not only help with their education but also productivity in the workforce.
STEM, especially the fields of engineering and computer science have always been underrepresented by females. I aspire to push towards balancing the gender gap in this field.
I have a passion for Engineering and the motivation to find every opportunity to pursue this field. I also have experience with robotics, coding, AI, Augmented reality, software engineering, Power BI, and various other areas.
I look forward to seeing where a degree in Engineering takes me next.
