Ever wondered if a hamster wheel could generate electricity? As a 10-year-old watching her pet go round and round on the wheel with boundless enthusiasm, I wondered just that. After doing some research on electromagnetic generators, I bought some copper wire and strong ceramic magnets from a specialized science store and built my own rudimentary electric generator. My interest in STEM topics started in my elementary school days, and I have always been drawn to the idea of inventing and creating new things. I always felt that it was my life’s calling to make a difference in this world with innovations in science and technology. The hamster wheel project helped me realize that STEM is not just about the cool theoretical concepts I read about, but that it involves practical applications as well. This desire to invent and innovate eventually led me to pursue a career in engineering, a field that not only allows me to explore my passion for problem-solving but also offers endless possibilities for making a positive impact on the world. In the middle of my senior year of high school, I decided that I wanted to set myself up for success in the program and take Math 31 (calculus) in high school to prepare. That year, the class wasn’t even being offered, because there were no students who had signed up. I went and talked to the math teacher, and he agreed to let me take up the challenge - learn calculus all by myself, with just the recorded videos from the class during the COVID era. I diligently studied the old videos and notes and took unit tests over my lunch breaks. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of teaching myself a challenging subject, and not only was it one of my favorite high school classes, but I also completed it with a perfect 100% final overall mark. Because of this, I was honored to receive the school-wide Academic Achievement in Mathematics Award. As I started my first quarter at WWU, I realized that my hard work, both in calculus and in other classes, had paid off. Most of my classes were incredibly easy for me. While my classmates were struggling to grasp the material and feeling like they had no time for anything outside of studying, I was able to complete all my work with minimal time and effort and give that freed-up time and mental space to help some of my classmates better understand the class material. I was also able to join the university’s Engineers Without Borders chapter. At EWB, I volunteer for both a local project to make an automatic sidewalk temperature sensor for a local humane society shelter, as well as an international project that is working towards bringing affordable clean water to a village in Tanzania with the help of solar panels to run the well pump. Although my family is supportive of me in my endeavors to pursue this career, they can’t afford to financially support me. When I was just four years old, my family emigrated from Russia in search of better opportunities and a brighter future. Ever since then, my parents have been working hard to make ends meet and provide for me and my two siblings. Because of this, I will be paying for tuition and college expenses solely through scholarships and working part-time during my degree. This scholarship would help me tremendously in my pursuit of my dream of service-oriented engineering, allowing me to focus less on my finances and more on my studies and making an impact even while I am still in school.

The dream version of my future self is an accomplished and influential electronics engineer who uses her expertise and passion for solving problems to create innovative solutions that drive technological advancements, address global challenges, improve lives, and leave a lasting positive impact on society.