My parents’ vision to immigrate to the United States, helped my brother and me achieve higher education. My mom grew up in poverty. Her family couldn’t afford to pay for basic necessities. The school staff had to feed her sometimes because she would go days without eating. My mom was the first daughter out of six children. She took care of the house and her siblings because my grandmother, unfortunately, was a victim of domestic abuse. My mom grew up in a world of violence and inequality, and yet she is a kind hard-working woman. Similar to Carlos F. Garcia Muentes, my parents, my brother, and I were born in Ecuador in the city of Guayaquil. I remember being in high school thinking the best I could do after graduation was to become a fitness trainer. Currently, I’m studying to become a mechanical engineer specializing in robotic systems. I’m in my last year of university, and I’ve been able to develop professional and interpersonal skills to succeed in the workforce. However, I’m working towards achieving total financial independence from my parents. My parents pay for my university since I don’t earn enough yet to fully pay for tuition after financial aid, loans, and scholarships. This scholarship will offer some financial relief for my family. My parents taught me that we are stronger when we work together. Together, we were able to settle in the United States and learn the language. Together, we were each other’s pillars to lean on while looking for jobs, getting through college, and making difficult career choices. I apply the same principle in class and on projects. Especially in the broad field of robotics, collaboration between different industries is a key factor in the development of new technology. I'm the leader of an autonomous ground vehicle project and electrical, mechanical, and software engineers are vital to building and improving the vehicle. Teamwork is essential, and I'm grateful to have the opportunity to develop my technical skills with the support of my classmates and my family. Additionally, my family taught me to be active within my community. Being a female in engineering can be overwhelming. I found it especially difficult to speak up when only one or two other ladies were present in a room full of men. I struggled with voice projection and people talked over me. At one point, my voice wouldn’t stop shaking every time I had to present the weekly updates to the team. In a class setting, I preferred to keep my ideas and questions to myself instead of raising my hand. However, having support from the society of women engineers within the university helped me overcome my insecurities. Of course, to this day, I struggle with projecting my voice. But I’m not afraid anymore to share my ideas, ask for help, or stand out for being the only lady in the room. Now, I provide ladies and minority groups with resources to succeed in college by being part of the executive board for different organizations such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and the Robotics Association. We organize workshops and professional events to prepare students for the workforce. My mom's determination for a better life and my family's teamwork inspire me every day to keep learning and chasing opportunities while being active within my community.