My interest in STEM and bioengineering is due to my desire to contribute to the research and advancement of biological, medical, and sciences. One of the things I hold dear in life is my family. Like many other families, I’ve watched family members of mine deal with hard diagnoses as well as many inadequacies in our country’s health care. I would love to take part in creating a product or invention that could change an outcome for a patient that may have felt underserved. One biomedical engineering process I have found interest in is genome editing. My mother and grandmother have both been diagnosed with a non-curable type of leukemia. They were both told that it did not have any genetic ties, however, our situation made that statement feel untruthful. I hope that with my degree in biomedical or molecular engineering, I will be able to participate in gene/molecular research and the creation of equipment for the study of something such as cancer genes. I am driven by the thought of developing and creating devices and treatments that serve the purpose of improving health care. While I have to admit the interest I have had in STEM has been less about my literature readings, and more about my real-world experience and watching those around me live out medical diagnoses, needs, and struggles. The books in my molecular biology class, while intriguing and informative, can't compare to the hands-on applications I have been able to have in class. I am the eldest of three in a modern middle-class family. My dad works in a factory and my mom is a stay-at-home mom who helps run a non-profit. While we know we are far from wealthy, we’ve tried to never let money affect us. However, with the rising cost of college, and with my mother having potential high medical expenses being diagnosed with a slow-growing cancer I am faced with the possibility of taking out large loans to realize my dreams. I hope to major in biomedical engineering and pursue a fulfilling career in the years following that will allow me to contribute to the research and advancement of biological, medical, and scientific innovations and breakthroughs. Though my family and I have saved what we could for college costs, we cannot cover these costs with no worries or stress. To achieve my dreams, I am depending on scholarships such as this one to help me with my college expenses. The hard work and skills that I have put into my education by tirelessly studying, setting goals, stepping up to serve my community, and working a part-time job to save extra money will be the same type of hard work and skills I will use to find scholarships and opportunities to help achieve my dreams.

I currently am a senior at Waynesboro High School in Virginia. I am my school's National Honor Society president and an active team member of our school's indoor and outdoor track teams. In my spare time, you will find me coaching gymnastics at the local gym where I was a gymnast for six years, reading, or spending time with friends and family, and of course, doing homework. My interest in bioengineering is due to my desire to contribute to the research and advancement of biological, medical, and sciences. One of the things I hold dear in life is my family. Like many other families, I’ve watched family members of mine deal with hard diagnoses as well as many inadequacies in our country’s health care. I would love to take part in creating a product or invention that could change an outcome for a patient that may have felt underserved. One biomedical engineering process I have found interest in is genome editing. My mother and grandmother have both been diagnosed with a non-curable type of leukemia. They were both told that it did not have any genetic ties, however, our situation made that statement feel untruthful. I hope that with my degree in biomedical or molecular engineering, I will be able to participate in gene/molecular research and the creation of equipment for the study of something such as cancer genes. I am driven by the thought of developing and creating devices and treatments that serve the purpose of improving health care. In school, my interests have always centered around biology and math courses. One of my favorite classes has been my molecular biology class that I was able to take at Shenandoah Valley Governor's School. The idea of developing, testing, and designing various technologies, implants, medical breakthroughs, and more intrigues me and makes me feel that I could potentially participate in medical breakthroughs that could benefit those that I love. While I have a passionate interest in the medical field personally due to my family's medical diagnosis, and an educational interest due to my Governor’s School studies, I also feel that breaking some of the barriers in the engineering field regarding gender norms is something I would like to be part of. Globally, there is a significant gender gap within the engineering field. Men comprise approximately 87% of the workforce compared to 13% of women. While pursuing my degree and future career path, I hope to not only fulfill my dreams but also to inspire other women considering entering the engineering field. Being not only female but also an Asian American, I hope to contribute to more diverse and equitable engineering opportunities for future female generations. I also hope to challenge long-standing stereotypes showing that women are willing, ready, and fully capable to excel in engineering roles alongside their male counterparts. With all this in mind, I can't imagine that there would be someone who has made a bigger impact on me, than my mom. My mom has not only been a strong support to me and my two sisters, but many of the local foster children who have either stayed with my family or been impacted by the non-profit she helped co-found that supports local foster children and the families that care for them. She may have been diagnosed with cancer five years ago, but she always finds a way to put others ahead of herself. She's been an inspiration to me, and I know that my life has been impacted positively due to her love and support.

I am a senior at Waynesboro High School in Virginia. As a junior, I was accepted into The Shenandoah Valley Governors School in our area to further my STEM learning, where I take all of my science and math AP and DE classes. I am also my high school's National Honor Society's President for the school year 2023-2024. During the two years that I have been part of NHS I have participated in many community service events. Some of the service events I've participated in The Salvation Army holiday bell ringing, our city's parks and recreation park and greenway cleanup, assisted with our local WARM shelter, a local teen clothing closet, and our local elementary school's project garden. One of the service projects that holds a special place in my heart is one that my mother helped start. This nonprofit assists local foster children and the foster parents who care for them by offering clean, new backpacks filled with items like pajamas, personal care items, blankets and stuffed animals, books, games, and more. I helped push for my mom's nonprofit to be an approved service for our local National Honor Society so that our school group could assist her in their monthly support meetings by feeding the children dinner, playing with them, and doing crafts while their foster parents attend the meetings. The reason this is a very special project for me is that not only am I adopted (internationally), but we are a family that has fostered, and adopted both of my younger siblings from foster care. In my time outside the classroom, I am part of our school's indoor and outdoor track team. During my four years being part of this team, I have participated in sprints, high jump, and hurdles, where I won first place in our district 300 hurdle competition my sophomore year. In my junior year, I became our team captain for the high jump team. In my spare time, you will find me coaching young children in gymnastics, (as I was a gymnast for 6 years before entering high school), reading, and of course, doing homework. My goal is to attend college and major in biomedical engineering. Not only do I love math and science, but I have a strong pull to assist those with medical needs. There are so many citizens in America who cannot afford life-changing medical care or devices. So, if I could pick a dream charity, it would be one that would help raise funds to help those who cannot afford medical care receive the much-needed inventions that biomedical engineers are responsible for creating. I can envision engineers, doctors, and nurses volunteering their time and skills to help with procedures for those in need. Maybe even being part of the college's scholarship program with agreements to assist after a student's degree is achieved. Biomedical engineering has a diverse range of studies, and the possibilities regarding medical interventions and advancements could be a never-ending way to help those in my community.

I am a high school senior who enjoys running indoor and outdoor track, coaching young children's gymnastics classes, and spending time with friends and family. My goal is to attend college to major in biomedical engineering. While I love math and science, which is what attracted me to this field, the thought of helping others in the healthcare field made me feel even better about that choice. I feel when people think of civic engagement, they often think of being involved in their community's political or government events, however, I would like to think it can be so much more than that. During my school career, I have assisted at polling areas in my city and attended city council meetings. I have even participated in a mock trial with my AP Government class as a juror. I would like to think that my contributions to help assist my community through volunteering, would be a better example of my civic engagement. Years ago, my mother helped start a non-profit to help care for the foster children and foster families in our area, I then learned what a great need we had in our local community to care for those children who come from unhealthy or traumatic backgrounds. I started helping my mom with things like packing backpacks for children who come into care with new clean items they would need in the first few days at their new home, helping with childcare at foster parent meetings, helping her gather items that a child may need for their new bedroom, and volunteering at fundraising events they had. Children who come into foster care often come with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, and if they are lucky, sometimes a trash bag with some old clothes. What I have come to realize is that helping children in foster care gives them a head start in what may be a chance to create a positive future, and they may one day be able to make a positive impact on our community because of this. As president of our school's National Honor Society, I have found many needs in our community where I find time to volunteer. One of the places I have found I enjoy volunteering at is our local teen clothing closet. We inspect and sort clothes for condition and whether the clothing items would be a style a teen in our area would be wearing at that time. It's a clothing closet that gives teens privacy and anonymity to come and shop for gently used clothing to help keep their dignity and make them feel like they can fit into the crowd at their school. When someone doesn't have to worry about what clothes they are wearing or possibly being teased, they have more confidence in themselves. When teens have more confidence in themselves, they can focus on schoolwork and achievements that can positively impact their lives. In the future, I not only plan to continue my volunteer work, but I hope to use my career as a biomedical engineer to make a difference in the community as well. While I am not sure exactly what that will look like I know that helping a community of people with specific healthcare needs can impact the community as a whole. I would love to see a day where a project I work on could be available to help make a difference in someone's life that otherwise wouldn't have the opportunity to benefit from that.

My goal is to become a biomedical engineer. With this career, I hope to positively impact the world and those around me. As I am in the beginning stages of this journey, I am not sure exactly what medical or environmental creations I will be part of, but I do know that I want to be part of creating something that will impact those in need. Engineering, generally, is the creation of something that will aid a process. As with many other families, I have watched family members of mine deal with hard diagnoses as well as so many inadequacies in our country when it comes to health care. I would love to find ways to help be part of creating a product or invention that could change an outcome for a patient that may have felt underserved. One biomedical engineering process I have found interest in is genome editing. My own mother and grandmother have both been diagnosed with a non-curable type of leukemia. At one time they were both told that it did not have any genetic ties, but it made us all wonder if that was true. Wouldn’t gene / molecular research or creation of equipment for the study of cancer genes be an amazing way to use a biomedical engineering degree, to be able to help families know or even prevent long running cancer diagnosis within their family tree. Another dream of mine is the possibility of inventing medical devices that change the way doctors or nurses could treat patients. As I start my college journey to become an engineer, I hope to grow with my peers, learn from my professors, and lean on my mentors. Following my first four years, I will continue through my graduate years. During that time, I hope to be part of a research group that can define the needs in our healthcare community that can benefit from our education and experience. I also hope to work with and encourage undergraduates while mentoring them from my own experiences. I hope to not only use my education and skills learned to create better health care, but also encourage others interested in this field to do the same, so our world can be a better place. Our world progressively becomes more modern and continues to change. This brings new wonders, but also new unknowns. It has become our generation's job to conquer these unknowns and protect the health, environment and society for future generations.

Throughout my life, my mom has always been there for me. While I know EVERYONE says their mom is the person that impacts them and helps them see their full potential, she truly is my inspiration. My mom is always there to support me, pick me up, cheer me on, and push me to do things I didn’t think I could. When I feel defeated or burnt out, she reminds me what my potential really is. As I watch my mom in her own life journey, it’s even more of an inspiration to me. My mom was a foster and adoptive mom who went on to start a nonprofit with the goal of helping and supporting other foster and adoptive families in our area. She has inspired me to not only look for my full potential but help others realize their full potential too. Rather than let my past define me, she has taught me I have full potential to embrace my true self and reach for a successful future. As I’ve grown, I have discovered what I want to do in life and the ways I want to positively impact the world and the people around me. My mom has helped me realize that my work ethic and personal responsibilities are things that I need to work towards. When she shared her cancer diagnosis with me, I was worried for her, and concerned about her health. She has days where she is perfectly fine and days where she struggles, but, no matter what, she pushes through not only for herself but for those around her. Her perseverance and selflessness never fails to inspire me. She has never wavered in her support, encouragement, or the expectations in me to be my best. Whether it's academics, sports, or supporting my adoptive history and heritage, she makes sure she is always there for me and my family. Whether she is standing outside in the cold watching my track meets, coming in late nights with a snack when I’m overwhelmed with homework, giving an encouraging word when I feel that I am not ready to take a big step, or even a bit of critiquing when I need to adjust something I’m doing, she is always there for me. Despite my concerns about moving into a new chapter of my life, I know I am capable, and have the skills to be successful because of the tremendous support of my mom. To say that she has profoundly impacted my life is something that is hard to put into words, but I hope one day that my impact on the world, whether it be through my work in the biomedical field, or just personally through the way I live my life will make her proud, and that she will realize what an impact she made on me.