https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMJ3rkWHN/

There have been many amazing women in STEM, but only one has been my role model since I discovered my dream career. Leota Toombs Thomas was an amazing imagineer who worked on well known Disney theme park rides such as It's a Small World and the Haunted Mansion. Her skills as an engineer, her unrivaled determination, and her ability to enjoy her work to the fullest are some of the reasons I admire her and aspire to follow in her footsteps. Ever since I discovered imagineering, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I love bringing joy to people's lives and putting smiles on their faces. I remember the feeling of awe and inspiration that ignited within me every time I visited Disney World and witnessed the unfathomable illusions these genius imagineers had created. I hope to build and design animatronics and robots that spark the same feelings in generations to come and create the magic I had witnessed as a child. Alongside my career as an imagineer, I also hope to design and create original and new technologies to aid those living with disabilities and hopefully start my own company to produce them at a low cost. Seeing my grandfather live with ALS has changed the way I see everyday activities and opened my eyes to the hardships of those who live with disabilities. All of the equipment that he needs to do something as simple as use the restroom costs an absurd amount and it broke my heart to see how easily people's needs could be taken advantage of by large corporations. I hope to change the world by not only inspiring people with the magical illusions that can be created by technology, but also by helping those in need with the engineering skills I have and will learn. Bringing joy to others sparks joy for me, and I hope to spend my life doing just that in any way I can.

When I entered high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life... until I started engineering. I was finally able to put all of my creativity, ingenuity, and problem-solving skills to use and I immediately fell in love with the field. From this realization stemmed my passion for engineering and my dream to study mechanical engineering, specifically robotics. I have worked throughout my high school career to learn everything I can in the field of engineering and gain enough experience to begin my career. I took engineering classes, joined and led STEM clubs, interned at an engineering company, joined groups in my community who promote STEM education, and competed (and placed) in various STEM competitions. Not only did I use my newfound skills to better myself, but also to help my community. I built animatronics to bring attention to the Diversity Awareness club at my school, and I have designed and am in the process of developing a COVID-19 symptom-detection and spread prevention device to distribute throughout my school and community. But that's enough about my past, it's the future that I am looking towards. After earning a degree in mechanical engineering, I plan to design and produce various technologies to aid those living with disabilities and make their lives easier. My grandfather is an amazing man who was diagnosed with ALS several months ago. Seeing his condition worsen over time and watching him lose motor skills and abilities has given me a new understanding of how those with disabilities feel and how hard everyday life can be. I realize that there are already technologies in place, but we have so much more that we can do to help. I can do more to help. I am so grateful to have a healthy body, and I hope that I can use it to better the lives of those who do not by putting my natural skills to use. I hope to learn all of the skills required to make this happen by studying mechanical engineering in college, and I hope you will consider me for this scholarship to help make it possible. Thank you.