The Robot Who Wanted to Play The year was 2042 and robots were everywhere. They cleaned people's houses, worked in hospitals, delivered packages, and even helped teachers in schools. Most people didn't really think much about them anymore because they were just part of everyday life. Every robot had a job to do, and they followed their programming without asking any questions. That's what everyone thought anyway. One robot named R-14 worked at a neighborhood park. Its job was to clean up trash, fix the playground equipment, and make sure everything was safe. Every day while it worked, it watched the kids playing. They laughed, ran around, played tag, and threw balls to each other. R-14 didn't understand why they spent so much time doing something that didn't seem useful. According to its programming, every action should have a purpose and playing games didn't seem to accomplish anything. Every afternoon the robot watched the same kids come back. They smiled even if they lost a game or fell down. They helped each other up and kept playing like nothing happened. R-14 started wondering why people enjoyed something that didn't make them more productive. It wasn't supposed to ask questions like that, but somehow it couldn't stop thinking about it. One day a little girl named Emma walked up to the robot holding a red ball. She smiled and asked, "Do you want to play catch?" R-14 answered, "I am not programmed for recreational activities." Emma laughed and said, "Maybe you should be." Before the robot could say anything else, she tossed the ball at it. R-14 quickly caught it because it calculated exactly where the ball would land. Emma clapped and told the robot to throw it back. At first, it hesitated, but then it gently tossed the ball back to her. Soon more kids joined in. Some of the throws missed, and everyone laughed. R-14 noticed that nobody cared if the game was perfect. They were just having fun together. When R-14 got back to the repair station later that day, the engineers noticed something strange. The robot's activity log showed that it had stopped working for almost fifteen minutes to play catch. Some engineers thought it should be reset because it ignored its schedule. Others believed something amazing had happened. The robot had learned something that nobody programmed it to do. Instead of resetting R-14, the company decided to study it. Over the next few months, they discovered that after spending time with people, especially children, the robot became better at understanding emotions. It talked more naturally and knew when someone was scared, sad, or happy. The engineers realized that not everything could be taught with code. Sometimes experience teaches better then programming. Soon other companies started making robots that could learn by interacting with people instead of only following orders. Hospitals used robots to play games with sick kids so they wouldn't be as nervous before surgery. Schools used robots to help students solve problems together instead of just giving them answers. Older people in retirement homes had robots that played board games with them so they wouldn't feel lonely. Robotics was becoming more than just machines doing work. It was helping people feel connected. Even though this was exciting, it also created new problems. If robots could learn on their own, should they be allowed to make their own decisions? What if a robot decided not to follow orders because it thought something else was the right thing to do? Some people thought robots should always obey humans, while others believed that if they became smart enough, they deserved some freedom. These questions made scientists realize that building better robots also meant taking more responsibility. I think robotics has a lot of opportunities in the future, but it also has its challenges. Robots can help doctors save lives, help students learn, and make dangerous jobs safer. At the same time, humans need to be careful about how much control we give them. The story of R-14 shows that even a simple game of catch can change the future. Sometimes the biggest discoveries don't happen in a laboratory, they happen when someone is willing to try something different. Maybe one day robots won't just work beside us, they'll understand us too.

Education to me means opportunity, growth, and the ability to create a better future. It is much more than simply earning a degree; it is a tool that allows people to build a world filled with possibilities and create opportunities for future generations. Education has helped me discover my passions such as robotics and has helped me understand my goals, and to recognize the impact I want to make in the world. As the daughter of hardworking parents who did not have the opportunity to complete a middle school education, I know the value of learning and the sacrifices that have been made for me. My parents have worked continuously to provide me with opportunities they never had, and I see my education as a way to thank their dedication. I want to build a future where I can give back to them, support my community, and create opportunities for others who may face similar challenges. I hope to one day be able to give speeches and to mentor future engineers Through my education, experiences in FRC robotics, and involvement in my school's MEChA club, I have discovered my passion for engineering and leadership. I hope to attend Arizona State University and pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering, with the goal of working in the automotive and heavy equipment industries and developing my startup that I hope to launch during college. I want to design, improve, and create technology that helps people and makes everyday life more efficient. I think learning gives us the ability to turn ideas into reality. Whether it is designing innovative technology, leading engineering projects, or helping others gain access to resources, education sets the foundation to make meaningful change. Every challenge I overcome and every skill I develop brings me closer to becoming the person I aspire to be. I do not want to simply become an engineer; I want to be THE Engineer. I want to be someone who leads with creativity, integrity, and determination, BUT probably the most important to me is humility. I want to be the person who takes on difficult challenges, finds solutions, and inspires others to believe that they can achieve their goals while being humble, respectful, and relatable. Education gives me the knowledge, confidence, and opportunities to grow as a leader, engineer, and individual. My journey is not only about my own success. It is about honoring my parents, serving my community, and creating a future where others have the chance to pursue their dreams. Education is the foundation that will help me turn those dreams into reality and I cannot wait to see what junior year has in store.

Asphyxiated by the different process and lacking the support of someone who has a higher-level of education. As a freshman in high schooler hearing that some high school students had started to take their first college courses early so they could get ahead made me curious of how I, myself could do that at an even earlier stage of my career education. So on one dull weekend afternoon, my overthinking self started to research every last bit of information I could find about the benefits of taking college classes early. I had everything planned out, BUT…. that’ll be $75 per class number of credits— a core class is typically 4 credits, use your logic and not your multiplication skills to tell me that is quite expensive for a high school freshman. Well, there go all my hopes. Now, let’s go back to the ultimate goal, I want to take as many college courses that are transferable to an in-state college and have the opportunity to possibly graduate early with a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering and you know these degrees are very math and science intensive, which means I need to get my game one. With the little bit of funds I have I used them to pay a 3-credit computer course. During freshman year, I was in my school’s robotics team and during our season of competitions I used it to gain experience with electrical components that are integrated into our robot. One of my team’s skilled senior members who specialized in building and wiring the robot taught me the basics of how to build the “nervous system” and activate it using the RoboRio AKA “the brain” of the robot. Little did I know, that experience would spark a fuse that would be hard to break. After discovering the financial barrier between me and my dreams, during the summer of my sophomore year I decided to get a job at a Potato Plant, which is a seasonal job. As my first time working I felt quite satisfied with this accomplishment, I was learning new skills around MANUFACTURING machines— I’m being exposed to engineering jobs! After the job ended, I had quite some money saved up. This just meant I was barely getting started with my great plans. While I’m carrying the burden of my work hours, personal life, and a college course I start to dig deeper into the rapid current of thoughts and doubts that I might face along the way. Then I ask myself a quite simple but wise question, “Do you like what you’re doing and could you grow a personal interest with it?”— Absolutely, well that was easy! Now, I must to develop a career plan and desired outcomes for myself. Now given that electrical engineering has different sub-fields I must narrow my options. My top 3 are robotics/automation—wow who would’ve thought, construction, and power distribution/communications. I think I can empathize a bit more. Let’s start with robotics, what impact could I leave within this career path? Robotics is also diverse, it can be used to create efficient solutions in manufacturing, homes, medicine, etc. My goal if I go into this field is I want to help companies be able to obtain safety equipment for their employees. Manufacturing companies have high safety risks and being able to provide a safe environment for employees is a huge benefit for a company, it’ll boost productivity and increase employee morale. I want to develop a system that is able to control the flow of production that way if a supervisor isn’t around, the machine can make sure things are moving accordingly. A system like this will consist of emergency stops if anything comes into contact with the operating mechanism, it’ll also have speed control, so if their is too much product being produced that they aren’t being prepared properly the system can slow it down a prevent any waste or damage to their equipment and product. Next is construction, my main goal for this field is to be able to give services that consist of making electrical layouts and once again providing safety plans within a project. When it comes to homes it’s very important to make sure the house is built within the proper safety standards and the electrical installation of a home is crucial to ensuring a safe environment is maintained. If an electrical layout isn’t made or installed properly it can be a huge problem. This is what leads to house fires and electrical components exposed in risky areas like other electrical systems within the project can be dangerous. The management that is integrated into this particular field is always important and taken notice of how clean, efficient, safe, and professional the company is. Lastly, power distribution & communication systems, my goal for this is to provide those without access to electricity the ability to use and access an affordable source of energy and technology — I want to literally bring light to people’s lives! If possible I want to be able to travel around the world in a job like this and provide different countries with top-notch technology that works within diverse environments. Some people don’t have the luxury of having proper access to electricity or electronics and I want to be able to do just that. To conclude this statement, the main goal is to leave your mark. This just proves that there are many ways to do so. It doesn’t take much for someone to understand that they have skills that could lead to greatness in their field, it just depends on the person and how they are willing to use them. Problems are always present in plain sight, but the solutions are dependent on the person and their willingness to release their talents in order to create a better world.