Koehler Family Trades and Engineering Scholarship

Being the middle child of three girls, I became the tomboy of the bunch and I wouldn’t change it for the world. This resulted in me becoming the sibling to help my dad in the garage ever since I was a young girl. I've been mowing our lawn since I was as young as fourth grade on our riding mower, as well as maintaining the machine. I've constantly been the person to hold the light over my dad and I's work, hand my dad tools (mainly socket wrenches), and go on adventures to get equipment for our projects. This includes oil, gas, spark plugs, etc. Some of my fondest memories with my dad involve being in the garage and being around machinery. This ranges from helping my dad with my little Kitty Cat snowmobile with a leopard print seat on a workbench when I was three, to working on my dad’s 1970 RT Dodge Challenger and attending car shows with him to this day. My dad has taught me all I know about machinery and how the machinery processes work, sparking an obsession within me. From this, I became fascinated with machinery and how it works. I love the intricacy of the machines and how all the components work together. This fascination has ultimately led me to the decision of becoming a Mechanical Engineer. As an aspiring engineer, I plan on enhancing lives by developing innovative solutions to complex problems. I am particularly interested in the field of renewable energy and believe that sustainable energy solutions have the power to make a significant impact on people's lives. I am excited about the prospect of developing new technologies that will help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and promote a more sustainable future. I am interested in designing products for individuals who may be handicapped in certain areas. My mother has worked as an Occupational Therapist and having insight into her job has opened my eyes to problems I didn’t even realize existed, such as struggling with everyday tasks like putting on shoes. I am fascinated by the Nike Go Fly-Ease shows, which allow you to put on a pair of shoes without hand assistance. I would like to help design products like this for these individuals. I believe making these products with be extremely beneficial and valuable to our society and would help me innovate the lives of those around me. I have volunteered and given back to my community my entire life, and I don’t plan on ever stopping that. With innovative solutions like the ones I have listed above, I believe I can impact and enhance lives globally. One of my greatest strengths is my ability to think critically and creatively. I am able to analyze complex problems and come up with innovative solutions that address the root cause of the problem in a timely manner. I am a strong communicator and collaborator, which I believe will be essential in working with other professionals to develop and implement solutions. I always check to make sure I am on the same page with the individuals and do my part well. Additionally, I am highly organized, detail-oriented, and analytical. These three qualities will help me to stay on top of projects and ensure that everything is done correctly and to the best of my abilities. I love the intricacy of projects and perfecting the project’s looks and methods, no matter what it may include. As you can see, all of these qualities will help me in a variety of ways to help me with my engineering career.