We all have 24 hours, but it's up to us how we spend these 24 hours. What motivates me is the drive to be better tomorrow than I was today. I know it's cliché, but in high school I kept a book of goals where I wrote down a goal each night for the next day to accomplish. This simple act of goal-setting motivated me for the next day and kept me moving forward. Goal setting doesn't allow me to remain constant or complacent. When I become content with "good enough" then I stop growing and learning. If I stop growing and learning, then I stop moving forward. But what motivates me to have the drive to continually push myself to be better than the day before? It's my salvation. I know that the time I have on this earth is fleeting and I only have a limited time to make an impact on the lives of others. My purpose is not just to live, make money, and die, but instead be a light to everyone I meet and lead others to Christ. The knowledge that there is a war at stake for eternity of each and every person's soul gives me the urgency and motivation to be better tomorrow than I was today.

"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think" - Winnie the Pooh. If you would have told 7 year-old Auburn that she would have graduated valedictorian of high school, became a National Merit Scholar, graduated with a 4.0 GPA from the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, and now be working at Lockheed Martin in the Engineering Leadership Development Program, she would have answered you with "and what else?" I believed that I could achieve anything I put my mind to as a child, but somewhere along the way, that confidence faded. I started comparing myself to others and feeling like I wasn't enough. It took being in a really low place of heartbreak over an unaccomplished dream to see that I don't need others to validate my success. I determine my worth and no one else. I've learned that you can't move forward in life while looking sideways, comparing yourself to others, as comparison is the thief of joy. So, 7 year-old me was right to be confident about my future and abilities. I'm braver than I believe, stronger than I seem, and smarter than I think. Now, I can answer "what else?" with a master's in civil engineering, MBA, and future CEO of an engineering firm. I'm excited to see what else I'll accomplish in the future knowing that I define my success and my worth.

Growing up, I remember the song, "I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart." As a kid, I happily sang this song, but what does that truly mean? In my short 22 years of life, I've learned that nothing stays the same. Life is always changing and doesn't always go according to plan. While we can't always control our circumstances, we can control our mindset. Because of this, joy is not based upon our circumstances, but instead our mindset and how we choose to live our lives. My joy comes from my salvation. This is because I know where I will live eternity and that allows my everyday mindset to be focused on things above, giving me joy. Now, I'm not saying that I don't get sad, angry, or unhappy. I experience these emotions as well, but joy and happiness are different. One can have joy, but still be sad. This is because joy is a mindset of hope based on the future. So, I can truly sing that "I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart, down in my heart" because I know that my forever home is in heaven.

Scotty McCreery has a song called "The Dash" that portrays "It ain't about the numbers chiseled in concrete. It's how they lived their lives in the dash between." I want my legacy, the dash, to be defined by the lives I touched in between those two dates. I want to inspire others to pursue their dreams and goals along with a relationship with Jesus Christ. I've never fit into a box, nor have I wanted to. Just to name a few examples, I'm a female in the male dominated field of engineering, competed in Miss Kentucky, and played on the Olympic Development Program (ODP) soccer team in my youth. I want to inspire other females to pursue a career in engineering while staying true to themselves which is often hard to do as we are faced with imposter syndrome as a minority. I've already started on this legacy by having served as an Engineering Ambassador, Engineering Peer Mentor, and Outreach Director for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). For all my work, I was awarded the Singletary Award at the University of Kentucky. While this is an important part of my legacy, it doesn't affect eternity. Salvation does. Therefore, the biggest part of my legacy is being an ambassador for Christ. When others meet me, I want them to see me as a light for Christ. My relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing in my life and the most important part of my legacy as if I can lead others to Christ, then I have changed their eternity. This legacy isn't one that is written down in record books like Tom Brady or Michael Jordan. Instead, it's defined by changing of lives as it's not about the numbers, but the dash between.

"The approval of others does not determine my value or worth as my character and faith do." Each year, millions of girls compete for the title of Miss America, the ideal. In my first pageant, I won over 5,600 dollars and an award in every category: interview, poise, fitness, talent, and overall scholastics. I achieved the highest point total, yet, a clause stated, “At the end of the competition the judges may order the top five girls in any order they may choose.” I was awarded 1st Runner-up. Without pageants, I would not have dealt with the pain of not achieving my goal, but I would not have learned the importance of knowing my worth. I had to come to the conclusion that these judges did not define who I was or my worth. I was still Auburn Mattingly. They did not take anything away from me unless I let them. I know it's been said that pageants develop public speaking and confidence among other skills, but the reality is that while the pageant showcased these skills, it did not develop these skills. They were already there. Maybe I would not have worked as hard without competing in the pageant on stage. Maybe I would have pursued these aspects of life solely for pleasure. There is no way to say just how different my life would be without pageants, but I can say my life is different after competing in one. Through being broken and real, I have been able to touch more people than I ever could with a crown. For this reason, I want to share with the world that your worth isn't based on the approval of others. It is based on who you are and only you can define that.

“If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap.' If you want happiness for a day — go fishing. If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.” Chinese Proverb There are many things in life that bring me happiness as stated above, but this happiness is often circumstantial. I love the rare occasions when I get sleep in to noon on a Saturday without work or homework. I'm not one for fishing much, but I am overjoyed to have the freedom to sit outside with the sun beating down on my skin with a good book in my hands. While money can't buy happiness, it can provide access to experiences that bring happiness based on who you share those experiences with such as a trip to the beach, concerts, hot air balloon rides, etc. Although, all of these provide moments of happiness, not happiness itself. Happiness itself comes from life itself and life has meaning and purpose when it is spend helping others. My way of helping others is inspiring females to pursue engineering. I personally know how hard it is to succeed in the male dominated field of engineering. It is so important to have a female mentor to look up to and guide one along the path. I now serve as that mentor for many other students as I served as an engineering ambassador, engineering peer mentor, and outreach director for the Society of Women Engineers. I am filled with happiness while serving in these roles. It makes me so happy to see students who I mentored their freshman year now achieving their dream internship with Tesla or Disney. This type of happiness isn't fleeting because it's based on serving.

"When we get to our forever home, me and you will be forever home" sings the country music band Florida Georgia Line with Chris Tomlin. This song powerfully crafts how one day the gravel roads will be streets of gold, we'll never grow old, and will truly be forever home. This song inspires me because it leads me to consider the future when I will be with my Savior and Lord forever more. In busyness of everyday life, it is easy to get caught up in work, tests, projects, and other responsibilities of life. When I step back and listen to this song, I have an eternal view which changes my perspective on life. I'm not here on this earth to only get an education, work, and retire. I am here to be a light and make an impact on others which influences their forever home. My actions don't just affect me, but those around me. When people look at me, I want them to see someone who is in love with the Lord and lives their life as an ambassador for Christ. With all of the attractions of the world, it can be easy to get pulled in different directions, but this song reminds me of the greater purpose and the joy I'll feel when I hear my Savior say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Then and only then, will I be forever home.

While it’s not glamorous, the technology that provides us with clean water inspires me. Just think of how many times we use water in a single day. From brushing our teeth, washing dishes, cooking, and taking a shower, we couldn’t live as we do today without clean water. When we turn on the faucet, we expect pure clean water to flow effortlessly. Although this wasn’t always the case in the USA that we could drink water without fear of disease or even death and is still not a reality in many countries. As a child, our water frequently was shut off or we were put on a boil water advisory which taught me the importance and power of our clean water technology. Sometimes the most important technologies are those that simply keep us alive. Each year over five million people die from waterborne disease (1). Furthermore, of all diseases, 80% are waterborne (1). The real catch is that many of these deaths are preventable with access to clean water. So while the technology of purified water is not all glitz and glamour such as an iPhone, clean water technology saves thousands of lives each year. This technology has the ability to continue to change lives by quite simply preventing death and allowing people to achieve their dreams. One in four people do not have access to clean drinking water (2). As a civil engineer, my world impacts the public each and everyday. My job is to create safe infrastructure for public use whether that be structures and buildings, roadways and interstates, or clean water. As a child, I grew up watching Kim Possible who was the basic average girl who saved the world. I aspired to “save the world” as well, but now I realize that I am actually living out this dream by helping keep the public and those around me safe. (1) “Five Million People Die Each Year from Waterborne Disease.” Live Enhanced, 5 Aug. 2019, https://www.liveenhanced.com/five-million-people-die-each-year-from-waterborne-disease/. (2) Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. “Clean Water.” Our World in Data, 1 July 2021, https://ourworldindata.org/water-access.

I believe a leader must understand not only how to lead, but also how to serve. As I’ve grown in life, my leadership has taken on different levels. As an undergraduate student at the University of Kentucky, I served as an Engineering Ambassador, Outreach Director for the Society of Women Engineers, and Engineering LLP Peer Mentor. Holding these positions allowed me to impact students at every step from applying to college, choosing a major, and eventually as a mentor helping navigating the difficult waters of pursuing an engineering degree. I currently work full-time at Lockheed Martin while pursuing an MBA and master’s in civil engineering with a focus on structural engineering. It is so neat to have a full-circle experience and be able to give back to my university and invest in current undergraduate students as an alumni and current graduate student. As a female in engineering from a small-town, I understand that education and opportunity are not distributed equally. Students “from low-income families are seven times more likely to drop out than those from families with higher incomes” (2). Women represent 52% of the college-educated workforce, but engineering only accounts for 16% (1). Furthermore, over 40% of women with engineering degrees do not enter the workforce as engineers (3). Theses statistics are just numbers, but they represent people. Effective Leaders and mentors pour into individuals and help them gain confidence and achieve success, raising the percentage one individual at a time. I serve and volunteer not only at UK, but also in my hometown as I was the first National Merit Scholar from my high school. Therefore, at Lockheed Martin, I led various talks with local high schools inspiring students to pursue engineering. As an employee, I have also held technical leadership roles. I served as the analysis lead for modal parameter estimation and intro course for composite analysis. Additionally, as part of the Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP), I serve as the professional development lead and serve as chair of the Continuous Improvement Process. To me, being a leader means inspiring those around you and enabling them to grow and have confidence in themselves. Leaders set the tone for the entire organization and are essential to having a prosperous team as leaders invest in others, the future of the organization. As Eleanor Roosevelt said, “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” (1) Khan, Beethika, et al. “SCIENCE & ENGINEERING INDICATORS.” NSF, 15 Jan. 2020, ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20201/u-s-s-e-workforce. (2) “11 Facts About Education and Poverty in America.” DoSomething.org, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america. (3) Tourkaman, Anabella. “The State of Women in Civil Engineering.” The State of Women in Civil Engineering | ASCE News, news.asce.org/the-state-of-women-in-civil-engineering/.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” - Elanor Roosevelt. I proud to work in a male-dominated field as I am part of the 16% of female engineers (1). I graduated from the University of Kentucky and work at Lockheed Martin in the Engineering Leadership Development Program (ELDP) while pursuing an MBA and a master’s degree in civil engineering with an emphasis in structural engineering. This quote from Elanor Roosevelt has proved true in my time at Lockheed. As a new college graduate, I was fully aware of my experience gap compared to that of my co-workers. With bright eyes, I began my career, soaking up information like a sponge. Due to my hardworking nature and potential, I was handed one of the largest and most complex finite element models (FEM) in company history. Although, when I asked questions to further my understanding, I was often regarded with looks of aversion as if I should already know the information. I would find errors when reviewing calculations but posed these as questions due to feeling inferior. I would have to present my point multiple times before they would acknowledge their mistake. I let all of this make me feel inferior when in reality, I was not. I was exceeding expectations and performing a task meant for someone with 4-5 years of experience while I only had three months of experience. Another female engineer in the company, Gillian Werner, showed me that my lack of experience wasn’t a hinderance but instead an opportunity. She started the Continuous Improvement Process at our company and showed me that I have a unique perspective in viewing how we can improve our company processes. I am following in her footsteps with leading the Continuous Improvement Process and serving as Professional Development Lead for ELDP. As a female in engineering who comes from a one-stoplight town, I know that education and opportunity are not distributed equally. Students “from low-income families are seven times more likely to drop out than those from families with higher incomes” (2). Women represent 52% of the college-educated workforce, but engineering only accounts for 16% (1). Furthermore, over 40% of women with engineering degrees do not enter the workforce as engineers (3). Therefore, female leaders like Gillian, who graciously helped me overcome the insecurities that were burned into me, are of the utmost importance. I now confidently believe in fully being myself and wearing my pink blouses and high-heeled shoes in a workplace filled with talk of fixing up old cars, hunting, and rap songs. Gillian has inspired me not only because of her success, talent, and intelligence, but more so because of her care for others as she leads in a way that is uniquely tailored for each person. She provides assistance and guidance, but allows those below her, such as myself, to make the final decision and grow their leadership abilities. In my career, I aspire to be a servant leader who is ambitious and hardworking, but cares for others and enables them to grow in their careers as Gillian exemplifies. This type of leader is one who makes a positive impact on the lives of others as Elanor Roosevelt said “A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.” (1) Khan, Beethika, et al. “SCIENCE & ENGINEERING INDICATORS.” NSF, 15 Jan. 2020, ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20201/u-s-s-e-workforce. (2) “11 Facts About Education and Poverty in America.” DoSomething.org, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america. (3) Tourkaman, Anabella. “The State of Women in Civil Engineering.” The State of Women in Civil Engineering | ASCE News, news.asce.org/the-state-of-women-in-civil-engineering/.