Minorities in STEM Scholarship

Technology is something that has inspired me for as long as I can remember. It has driven me to learn many different STEM skills, pushed me to become a better individual, and showed me that I can do anything I put my mind to. Over the course of several years, I have explored many different forms of technology. I joined my high school's First Robotics Competition team, Ferradermis, in my freshman year. This four year experience has provided me with great programming skills, invaluable communication skills, and amazing connections. This program also gave me the ability to pursue a technology I had been passionate about for a while: game development. My enthusiasm about game development goes hand in hand with my passion for technology. I quickly became enamored with the game development process after discovering computer technology and programming in elementary school. I learned all I could about game development through YouTube videos and exploring games I was already interested in. I knew then that game development was the career I wanted to go into. However, I only got to truly pursue this dream once I arrived at high school. It was during these past four years that I was able to work to get a personal computer, expand my programming skills with the help of my amazing programming teacher, and begin to make my own games in Roblox Studio, Unity, and Unreal Engine 5. I have spent my entire high school career not only pursuing game development, but also exploring many other forms of technology. While game development is definitely my main passion, I love to learn all I can about different technologies. I have taken 7 different computer science courses at my high school, and would take many more if I had the chance. Some of the things I learned in the courses are advanced Java programming, microcontroller programming in C++, digital electronics, web programming, and app development. I didn't just take these classes to fill my schedule, either. I took these classes because the technologies interested me greatly. I hope to apply the skills I learned throughout the future, both in my hobbies and in my career. My plans for the future have been pretty solid ever since I decided I wanted to be a game developer. Within the next ten years, I hope to have established a successful independent game development studio with a small team so I can bring my ideas to life within my own games. I plan to attend UW-Whitewater to get a degree in Media Arts and Game Development, and I have already been working on games to release to the public. I have also been working on a social media profile to get my work on the internet, and eventually I want to use my computer and web development skills to make my own custom website to display information about my game development studio and work. If possible, I also hope to collaborate with creators in different communities I am in to make games or other projects. Finally, I hope to have established a social media presence as a content creator, where I will share my own game updates, experiment with technology and my art skills, and network with other creators. I am positive that my passion for technology will follow me throughout my life, as shown in how I see my future. I don't think I could see myself in a life without a passion for technology, and I will continue to learn new skills and technologies to further my knowledge.

Ever since I was a kid, technology has been something I wanted to explore. My first experience with technology comes from Fortnite. What struck me was Fortnite's ability to continuously evolve from year to year without sacrificing the core nature of its game. Its complex building mechanics, virtual concerts, and skin collaborations featuring celebrities and other notable games, demonsrated to me how technology could create entirely unseen experiences. These aspects were unique for its time and fascinated others as well. Ever since its release, Fortnite has continually updated its graphics, storyline, and gameplay, leaving people in anticipation of the next update. No matter how large the game grew, the creators continued improving their product. Fortnite taught me to pursue advancement and recognize the beauty of innovation. All my life, without a doubt, I have found myself looking to improve processes to perfection. Whether it was altering the Wi-fi modem to better accommodate my big family, adjusting weight of my mock rocket to account for unexpected weather conditions ,or creating a template for a repetitive assignment, I continually found myself identifying problems and improving upon them. These experiences taught me that even small adjustments, when backed by careful observation and critical thinking, can create meaningful improvements. After much contemplation about what degree I should study, I realized that what I love to do is not simply being a perfectionist, but create technology. Technology represents growth and I love to witness the world become better because of it. What I have done so far may not seem as electrical or computational as technology is often perceived as, but to me, real technology is today's solution to yesterday's problem. If given this scholarship it will help me become one of many to find solutions for society. This mindset has formed a deeper mission in my life: to serve others and help them. While it may be exciting seeing problems solved and new technology emerging, the main focus is the people it impacts. How I can impact others lives makes my passion much more enjoyable. It takes people who are passionate and willing to create technology for growth to be noticed. I want to be that person to create that new technology, to make new protocols, and figure out how we can grow as individuals and as a society. I have found ease and happiness in technology, and I want that to be shared among the world. Beyond our devices, the network, and the common electrical advancements, I want people to know there is more to technology than electronics. Technology can be as big as a cancer cure or as small as a video game update. Technology is all around us in ways big and small. Recognizing these possibilities is what inspires me to continue learning and contributing to the innovations of the future. I've chosen data science to understand why systems and services are not being maximized to their fullest. I want to work with businesses and leverage their data to optimize their performance and strategy. Ten years from now, I see myself holding a lead role in a company's logistics and analysis team. I also see myself owning a consulting firm for individuals and businesses, whether they are pursuing personal endeavors or making business decisions. I want to build a world where solutions are sought and found, not walked past. This scholarship will not only provide financial support, but also confirm that others see the value in my mission. I am determined to test the boundaries of what technology can accomplish.

As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated with technology. As a little kid, I used to take apart my grandma's phone and put it back together, mess with my mother's computer, and play around with my PlayStation 2 to figure out exactly what made them work. This passion never faded. When I learned to code in 7th grade, it was like a switch flipped in my mind. I wasn't just able to use technology; I could create things with it, and from that moment on, I was hooked. Since then, I've been learning all types of things about technology, primarily coding. I've learned to program small pieces of games, think logically to come to solutions, and think differently from before. What I like about technology is the fact that it allows people to develop solutions to real-world issues, and I want to be a part of it. For that, I am studying technology. I want to take something I enjoy and make it a career, something that will also stimulate my mind and make it grow, and something that will allow me to contribute to something with meaning. A decade from now, I see myself as a senior-level software engineer. I see myself in the position of contributing to the creation of something impactful, whether applications, programs, or technology-enabled solutions for the general public. Beyond career development, though, there's a more personal motivation to excel in such a career. I come from a not-so-nice neighborhood in Southeastern Wisconsin. My upbringing has held me back, preventing me from having the same access to resources as others. I want to truly make a difference. If I become successful in my dreams, I want to give my success back to my community. Whether that means creating programs to expose children to coding, helping to fund the deliveries of supplies to schools, or simply being a mentor to someone who is going through the same struggles I have gone through, I want to be a positive force in someone else's life so they know that they too can accomplish it. I think the two-year degree is a great addition to my journey. It will provide the foundation of the technical knowledge I will need to be a software engineer, but it’s also a means of demonstrating to myself and others that I am serious and dedicated to putting in the work. Entering the two-year program means that I can establish a foundation of knowledge, gain some confidence, and move in the direction of obtaining a bachelor’s degree or joining the career world. It’s not necessarily about getting a job—it’s about creating something for myself and others. This scholarship would not only be monetary aid but also a vote of confidence in all that I am striving to accomplish. I am ready to demonstrate that where I am from will not determine where I am going.