In my robotics group, the “Gear Geeks”, my group and I undertook a fascinating project: designing and programming a helper robot. The guidelines for this activity were not particularly strict, granting us the creative freedom to determine the size, level of “helpfulness” and other key factors of the robot. Intriguingly enough, a fellow team created a slingshot robot with the sole purpose of accurately “flinging” goldfish into someone’s mouth. Meanwhile, others took a simpler approach, creating robots designed to lift heavy objects. Our team chose this particular route and we began by distributing the tasks among us. With limited tools, we managed to assemble a robot with a strong base, a well-articulated arm, and a wrench-shaped claw responsible for gripping objects. By attaching weights to the arm, we were able to determine that our robot could sustain 4 pounds of weight before it began losing balance. Beyond its “small” high school project status, this robot, if given larger and more enhanced equipment, could be pivotal in bridging accessibility gaps for those with disabilities. By utilizing a robot fit to pick up fallen objects, someone with a spinal injury can be much better accounted for. Likewise, a robot capable of transcribing speech through Artificial Intelligence’s speech recognition software can help people with speech impairments to better communicate with others. In March of 2022, I attended the annual GEARS Day event at the University of Pennsylvania, sponsored free of cost by the SWE (Society of Women Engineers). One workshop particularly caught my attention—a prosthetics showcase. In this showcase, a prosthetic knee was shown with the inner workings of each part meticulously labeled. This revealed the influences of both engineering and artificial intelligence in the realm of prosthetics. Our guide at the time noted that through the use of AI and engineering, prosthetic knee joints with movement-detecting algorithms were created. This innovation, using a mix of both engineering and AI, greatly eased the walking process for many amputees. Through understanding that programming is the foundation driving technical fields, I aim to pursue a graduate degree in Computer Science. In this academic journey, I envision myself contributing to one of the world's fastest-growing professions as well as becoming a voice for the minority. I am Amina Allab, originally from Casablanca, Morocco and the first in my family to seek higher education. Through the Abu Omar Halal scholarship, I seek to fund the foundation of my graduate studies, learn to innovate technologies that directly confront accessibility challenges for all and become a beacon of hope, pride, and accomplishment for the Muslim woman minority in the majority of STEM fields.