I was the only female in my eighth grade robotics class. There had been another girl in the class, but she switched out upon learning its gender makeup. I struggled to assert myself in a room where "girl cooties" were still considered a legitimate disease. While the male teacher tried to treat everyone equitably, my grade struggled. The structure of the class valued collaborative efforts, but I was too shy to communicate my ideas with the boys. I felt ashamed of being female, as if my gender dictated that all of my ideas must be meritless. I did most of the projects by myself and took a lower grade on them, despite knowing that I could improve if I asked someone to review my work. This quiet approach helped me skirt by through most of the term. However, for the semester final project, we were required to work in small groups. Our task was to design a virtual restaurant with robotic waitstaff, and to include all of the "typical components" of a restaurant. The team that included all of the typical components and had the most efficient restaurant would get extra credit for the semester. No one on my team was initially very excited. I didn't want to put my work out there and I briefly considered accepting my current, mediocre grade. While it was acceptable, I knew that I would have to contribute if I wanted to raise it. The boys were similarly unenthused to have a girl on their team. Begrudgingly, we quickly set to work. We designed proprietary sketches on our own, then came together to compare them. Mine was remarkably different. While the boys had designed efficient restaurants, I was the only person to include restrooms and a cleaning supplies closet. " I can't believe I didn't think of those," one boy said. The rest of the boys agreed. We modified my sketch to optimize efficiency until the time was up. Our team won first place. We were the only group to include bathrooms and cleaning supplies storage. While the boys approached the problem from the perspective of an architect, I approached it from that of a customer. My experiences of long lines in womens' restrooms prompted me to consider this viewpoint. I eventually overcame my fear of sharing my work by realizing that my ideas and experiences were just as valid as those of everyone else. My gender didn't made me an outcast; it made me an asset. I want other girls to realize the power they have to contribute, especially in male-dominated fields like robotics. I have already done some volunteering through my school's Science National Honor Society. I am also president for the school's Medical Club where I have led several science-based community service events. I ran a drive for personal protective equipment and an event to make cards for kids in the hospital. These experiences have taught me that gender division in science is more widespread than just my school and the field of robotics. During the course of my career, I plan to mentor minorities, especially girls, who are interested in science. I want to teach them to confidently deliver proposals, collaborate with others, and learn healthy ways of coping with adversity (unlike my lone wolf approach). I see myself in these girls, and I want to boost them into their future careers through resources and advice. I want all girls to know that our ideas and perspectives matter, and that belief starts from within.

After Kansas City implemented a mask mandate from the COVID-19 pandemic, I became aware of the challenges faced by many individuals who are homeless. They can't afford the cost of masks, so they will reuse the same dirty mask every day. This is unsanitary and can increase the risk of illness. As the president of my school's medical club, I knew I had to do something. I started a PPE drive this week at my school to raise awareness for this problem as well as collect materials to help mitigate COVID-19 risk to an already at-risk community. I am working with a local nonprofit to distribute the donations. I am honored by the outpouring of support. Our school administration fast-tracked the drive's approval process. Several students helped make posters to advertise the drive. While making posters, I got to explore calligraphy. Calligraphy is great for self-expression, but this process taught me the power in using my lettering abilities to support people in need. I got to try out new styles and techniques when designing posters. I grew in my skills, and people received personal protective equipment. People are extremely generous when donating. The drive isn't over but I have already learned a lot about managing collections and tracking who donated what. This process is giving me real-world skills that I can use going forward. I showed up for this community expecting to help them, and I did that. However, the feeling of helping this community showed up for me more. This process has taught me about connection, health, and the power of community. People of color are disproportionately affected by homelessness, as well as veterans and people who have disabilities. In addition to being more likely to be homeless in their own lives, homelessness is a vicious cycle that impacts generations. This is a terrible problem and I am so glad that I have the resources to be an ally to people in this position. I have always known that I have had an interest in medicine. However, I used to think being a healthcare professional was solely a career. Now, I think of it as a service. Medical professionals have a duty to serve the community with their knowledge and abilities. As a doctor, I will spend some of my time serving this group of people. Getting a medical degree doesn't happen overnight, and as a junior in high school I have a long way to go. I believe that with the help of this scholarship, I will be able to fulfill my dream of helping people of color, veterans and people with disabilities affected by homelessness.