There is an issue that I am very passionate about solving, climate change. The rising temperatures on Earth are rapidly destroying our ecosystem, making life on this planet impossible. However, there is a simple solution to this issue, technology. I want to study Computer Engineering to help accelerate and improve the production of electric vehicles. I became more involved and aware of the Climate Change issue during my Junior year. I researched how awareness of Climate Change affects the mode of transportation among adults. I wanted to know what people are looking for when buying a car and if climate change awareness will influence that decision. Results showed that most adults don’t buy electric vehicles because of their price and their lack of variety. Others living near the city area don’t even own cars because they take the bus or subway for their daily activities. If the production of electric vehicles accelerates, there will be more availability and a price decrease. I know that with knowledge of coding/programming, I will be of great help to this climate change solution. This is a cause I really believe in and want to stand behind. This past summer, I participated in the Girls Who Code immersion program, where I learned even more about different styles and languages of code and made my first computer science project: a “take action” webpage to encourage environmental sustainability and spread climate change awareness. With my knowledge of technology, I will contribute to green energy and help solve climate change. My end goal is to make oil-based transportation completely obsolete. I plan to gain my Bachelor's Degree in Computer Engineering with a concentration in Leadership and Innovation. Later, I will start my own tech company that will create affordable and diverse electric vehicles, contributing to the growth of fully solar-powered public transport. That will replace all gas stations with solar-powered charging stations, making oil and burning fossil fuels a thing of the past. I also look forward to learning about Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to produce completely automated public busses with safe algorithms. With the busses being electric, almost all of the road transport will be safer for the planet and ourselves. My participation in the robotics club at my school has taught me what an engineer does, preparing me for what I would experience in the future, and I love it! A new era of innovation in transportation and technology is about to rise, and I plan to be part of it.

Who likes school? I have asked this to children, teenagers and adults. There have been a variety of answers. Commonly, most children from elementary through high school do not enjoy waking up early to go someplace to learn. I was one of those kids. My appreciation of education began in 8th grade. As an immigrant, I needed to learn the language and the educational system in this country. Therefore, I felt obligated to stay in extra help. I am glad that I had helpful teachers through that rough transition period, teachers who really loved to teach. Their extra-help sessions were long, and commonly I was one of the last students to leave. A habit I still hold until today. Also, I spent weekends and non-extra help afternoons in the public library; my mom worked there so the library became like a second home. All this time surrounded by teachers and librarians made me appreciate education a bit more. However, I began to enjoy learning when I reached 10th grade. I joined some AP classes, and although these are challenging, I am glad I took them. Not only because they will save me money in the future but because these classes are where I learned to learn. I mean to research, “read to remember” techniques, and study habits. The education acquired through these classes and the afternoons at the library helped me improve my vocabulary and confidence in public speaking. Once I understood the true value of the education I decided to help others understand it as well. Therefore, I sought the opportunity to volunteer as a junior friend in the public library. A junior friend organizes and assists teachers on activities for younger kids in the community. An activity that I remember gladly was the "building a bot" project. Because I have a great interest in engineering, I was excited to teach kids a little bit about it. We used small robotic spheres as miny bumper cars. I assisted the teacher by helping the children when building the bots. We then placed them in a circle on the floor, and the team that stayed on the circle boundaries after 60 seconds was the winner. We did this activity three times, with different objectives. I felt very proud of this project because I saw how it developed the kids' interest in tech and engineering. And how they wanted to learn more about it. These experiences made education essential to my life. They taught me that education comes from different places, not only the school, that learning can be enjoyable, and that appreciation towards education inspires oneself to educate others.

At these times, succeeding in the business and engineering world is difficult, especially for a woman, and even more difficult if she is an immigrant. However, Geisha Williams proves that anything is possible. Williams focused on making environmental changes in the energy sector. Additionally, she fought discrimination and alienation from an early age, becoming the first Latina immigrant woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Williams studied engineering at a time when there were not that many women entering the STEM fields. After getting her degree in industrial engineering, she went to work for a local energy company. There she met mentors and learned about all forms of energy. As time passed, the Pacific Gas and Electric Company noted her hard work and determination and offered her a job as their CEO. As the CEO, Williams demonstrated her concern for the environment y developing new techniques to obtain clean energy. Under her leadership, the company produced environmentally friendlier energy, currently obtaining about a third of its energy from renewable sources. Williams was able to turn the company greener in a short time, which shows her strong support for renewable energy and her prowess in leadership and organization. The environment is important to Williams, precisely why she is such a good role model. Geisha William is the first Latina woman in history to become the CEO of one of the five hundred most powerful companies in the world. Also, Williams shows her support for greener energy, generating part of electricity with renewable energy, and promoting the creation of electric vehicles. Although she was an immigrant struggling to learn the language and the culture, and she was a woman pursuing a male-dominated career, she did not let feelings of alienation and discrimination paralyze her. She moved on and succeeded in her career. Inspiring other girls like me to aim for a high position in the world of engineering. I hope to be just like Williams, to go against all odds and become the CEO of my own company based on electric transportation. I plan on making solar power affordable and available to everyone. I seek a future where public transportation is fully eco-friendly. Electric busses for transport, subway trains with saltwater-based batteries, and solar-powered vehicles are what I am looking forward to developing in the future. I want to make a difference and leave my mark just like Williams. Who knows, maybe my company becomes a fortune 500 company. I believe in change and, just like Williams, I want to see a better, greener world.

Driving to work, taking the kids to school, and going out with friends is part of an adult’s normal day. Unfortunately, these activities are leading to the collapse of our planet. The rising temperatures on Earth are potentially destroying our ecosystem, which will make life on Earth impossible. I became more involved and aware of this issue during my Junior year. I researched how awareness of Climate Change affects the mode of transportation among adults. I wanted to know what adults are looking for when buying a car and if climate change awareness will influence that decision. The results of my study showed that climate change awareness had little effect on the type of transportation chosen. As I kept on looking into it, I realized that adults' main priorities when looking for a car are space and affordability. I became highly interested in this topic, so I did a lot of research on environmentally-friendly automobiles. I learned that an eco-friendly vehicle had either a higher mpg or is electric. Although electric cars are now becoming popular, they are still not affordable enough for middle-class families. I began asking myself, what if I can make that happen? What if all forms of public transportation are fully electric? From that moment on, I realized that I could work towards an eco-friendlier future. Smart electric cars are the future thereof I am pursuing a career in computer engineering. My interest did not stop there. During Junior year, I joined the robotics club, where I learned how to saw, screw, and connect cables. I experienced a work environment in which I am comfortable, and I knew this was something I could do for the rest of my life. This past summer, I participated in the Girls Who Code virtual immersion program, where I made my first computer science project: a Take Action webpage to encourage environmental sustainability and spread awareness. Now, because of the current pandemic, I have found myself with lots of free time, so I have spent that time working on some DIY projects based on solar electricity. I learned to build a solar circuit with the help of YouTube, and now I am trying to make a small and portable solar system that can power up most of the electronics in my house. A more efficient version of this invention can help people living in apartments or basements like myself to go eco-friendly without having a fully solar-powered household. I believe this can be an affordable way to promote environmental substantiality, and I look forward to further develop this idea in the future. One day, I will help create fully solar-powered cars, electric subway trains with a saltwater battery that is long-lasting and eco-friendlier than a regular lithium-ion or lead-acid. I know that this may seem unrealistic, but the truth is that all of this is already in development. Renewable energy and smart vehicles are the future. Our planet is responding harshly to the contamination humans have caused. To save our atmosphere, we need to go green, or in this case, go electric. It will be hard for some people to accept this concept, therefore, I want to do the best I can to show them that this is possible, that there is a way to make electric cars affordable, to have renewable forms of energy in every household no matter the size. I know that I can make a difference, and by becoming an engineer, I will build, create, and improve our future.