I have been an entrepreneur since the age of eight. I meticulously crafted Rainbow Loom bracelets and Duct Tape flower pens for my own use, but decided to open a storefront in my living room that summer, selling my products to family members. After three years of improvement, I opened a second business, “Audrey’s Store.” I used my iPad to create digital designs and printed them on sticky notes, notepads, and as coloring pages. I spent my own money ordering my products through Vistaprint and learned the difference between gross and net profit. Now, I incorporate entrepreneurship into my love of sneakers. I listed my first pairs of shoes and saw their low number of views, realizing they were priced too high. I learned to evaluate the prices of other listings to find a median value. The shoes sold after deciding on a number that reflected their value but was lower than other seller’s prices. I didn’t receive the profit I anticipated, but I was happy to learn from my initial mistake and apply this evaluation skill. Through online articles, trial-and-error, and YouTube videos, I have perfected my method of reselling products. I set up my bank account to receive transfers from my selling platforms and purchased the necessary shipping products. I developed a spreadsheet, calculating the cost of shipping materials and my profit from each transaction. I keep track of what sneakers are the most popular to generate high profits. When it comes to developments, sales and entrepreneurship plays a large role in engineering and innovation. Designing circuits in my high school Digital Electronics course, I always strived to simplify my circuits and stay away from using a large variety of Integrated Circuits. In a professional setting, pricing is an immense factor for businesses and consumers. A circuit that uses a large variety of IC chips may cost more to produce than a circuit with two to three different chips. This saves a company money when producing circuits, reduces complexity, and therefore decreases the possibility of circuit failure. Pricing is also competitive when it comes to common devices. Consumers are not willing to pay infinite amounts for a product, no matter how well it is advertised or manufactured. A circuit that is simple and cheap to produce can be sold at a more competitive price and drive more consumers, increasing the overall profit for a company. After gaining real life entrepreneurial skills and taking engineering courses, I plan to double major in astronautical engineering and business administration. I am following my passion of finding methods to remove space debris from the outer layers of our atmosphere, and I want to create a business initiative out of my future solutions. I want to bring the space junk back to Earth and recycle it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I plan to expand my entrepreneurial skills from the foundation I have created. I enjoy working with customers, managing products, and organizing costs and profits; I will continue using these skills as I work toward opening my astronautical engineering firm.

I became interested in the natural world through taking AP Environmental Science my junior year of high school. I enjoyed learning about our environment, and because I am fulfilled with the time I spend in nature and around animals, I began volunteering at the California Living Museum, or CALM. I worked with a group of volunteers to clean the bighorn sheep habitat at CALM. I learned which weeds were toxic to the sheep and how to properly handle the harmful plants. After the habitat had been cleared of the invasive plant species, the sheep were finally able to return home. The keeper opened the barn doors and the four sheep ran around with immediate joy. I loved admiring the happiness of the sheep when they saw their home again. I was fulfilled that I contributed to making the habitat safe and suitable for the sheep to live in. These animals at CALM always enjoy the little things, such as being back in their homes. I find pleasure in knowing I can make a difference in an animal’s life, no matter how small. I want to protect the rights of animals, whether they are in the wild or in a zoological facility. Spending time at CALM made me realize the importance of keeping animals in safe habitats. I will find solutions to unfair treatments of animals in harmful labs, engineering an alternate, effective solution to animal testing. I hope to eliminate this process and allow animals to remain in their natural environments. I want to further contribute to environmental conservation by collaborating with experts on global affairs such as climate change. By applying my engineering knowledge, I can save the lives of animals through developing climate change solutions. Establishing methods to decrease carbon dioxide production will not only benefit the habitats of animals, but also the communities of people around the world. I will continue advocating for greater sustainability in the future and apply the knowledge I gain in college to positively impact the environment. When I began high school, I wanted to give opportunities to younger students who also have a passion for STEM, so I started my own organization, STEM With Audrey, to offer knowledge and resources surrounding science, technology, and innovation. I learned engineering and problem-solving principles from my Project Lead the Way classes that helped me brainstorm ideas for my organization’s curriculum. I developed my first online course, Intro to Engineering, which explained several science and engineering fields and showed students how STEM is used everywhere. Preparing students for higher thinking, I included a project where they would choose one of their favorite items and discover a way to improve it. I walked them through the design process, having them revise their design, learn about accessibility, and build a prototype. Solving these underlying problems exposes students to the creativity and innovation behind engineering. I shared the course with my previous private school and it was used with over 150 students in the STEM classroom. I felt delighted knowing students were learning from my resources. I am currently creating a Girls in STEM virtual camp for middle school students. It will allow young engineers to share their experiences with each other and communicate the importance of persevering through hardships to represent the small percentage of women in STEM. I will expand STEM With Audrey in the future, offering in-person camps and opening a summer program. I will branch out to students around the globe without access to STEM programs and with limited educational opportunities, aiming to prepare them for their successful futures.

From elementary school, I excelled in my math and science classes, knowing I wanted to pursue a STEM field. However, it was hard for me to find engineering related experiences outside of the classroom. When I began high school, I wanted to give opportunities to younger students who also have a passion for STEM, so I started my own organization, STEM With Audrey, to offer knowledge and resources surrounding science, technology, and innovation. I learned engineering and problem-solving principles from my Project Lead the Way classes that helped me brainstorm ideas for my organization’s curriculum. I developed my first online course, Intro to Engineering, which explained several science and engineering fields and showed students how STEM is used everywhere. Preparing students for higher thinking, I included a project where they would choose one of their favorite items and discover a way to improve it. I walked them through the design process, having them revise their design, learn about accessibility, and build a prototype. Solving these underlying problems exposes students to the creativity and innovation behind engineering. I shared the course with my previous private school and it was used with over 150 students in the STEM classroom. I felt delighted knowing students were learning from my resources. I am currently creating a Girls in STEM virtual camp for middle school students. It will allow young engineers to share their experiences with each other. Throughout the camp, I will prepare the girls for high school, informing them about the Project Lead the Way program and Society of Women Engineers clubs. I will share my own experiences as a member of these groups and especially communicate the importance of persevering through hardships to represent the small percentage of women in STEM. I will expand STEM With Audrey in the future, offering in-person camps and opening a summer program. I will branch out to students around the globe without access to STEM programs and with limited educational opportunities. I hope to invite undergraduates and professionals to join my program, helping me build foundations for STEM students and prepare them for their successful futures. I developed an interest in the aerospace industry and spacecraft development through my Project Lead the Way Aerospace Engineering class. Through a research project, I learned about the presence of “space junk,” or debris from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft, in our atmosphere. If the trash continues to accumulate, there is a possibility of an entire orbital path made of space junk surrounding Earth. I am passionate about sustainability on Earth and I believe the pollution habits of humans should not be transported to space. I am pursuing an astronautical engineering degree at the University of Southern California, following my aspiration to develop spacecraft that can collect the debris left in space from previous missions. I believe I can assist with developing a method for bringing the space junk back to Earth and recycling it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I want to make a difference outside of Earth, protecting our surrounding environment and encouraging exploration for years to come.

I developed an interest in the aerospace industry and spacecraft development through my Project Lead the Way Aerospace Engineering class. Through a research project, I learned about the presence of “space junk,” or debris from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft, in our atmosphere. If the trash continues to accumulate, there is a possibility of an entire orbital path made of space junk surrounding Earth. I am passionate about sustainability on Earth and I believe the pollution habits of humans should not be transported to space. I am pursuing an astronautical engineering degree at the University of Southern California, following my aspiration to develop spacecraft that can collect the debris left in space from previous missions. I believe I can assist with developing a method for bringing the space junk back to Earth and recycling it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I want to make a difference outside of Earth, protecting our surrounding environment and encouraging exploration for years to come. At USC, I will have the resources to land an internship with and eventually work for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, helping develop and launch spacecraft. Then, I will be directly prepared for a career as an engineer. I eventually want to start my own company and produce groundbreaking additions to spacecraft to sell to top companies such as Boeing. I hope to contribute significantly to the aerospace industry from my engineering perspective. Within my senior year Project Lead the Way engineering class, I realized I was only one of two girls which presented a significantly new environment for me. For every project in this Digital Electronics course, I was paired to work with one of my male classmates. They were each respectful of my ideas, but I always noticed the shift in their mood hearing they were partnered with me instead of their other male friends. I experienced some disagreements, but always communicated my ideas thoroughly so they could understand my point of view. This environment inspired me to strengthen the Society of Women Engineers club for underclassmen. I became club president at the beginning of my senior year, recruiting other female board members, and began reaching out to local female engineers. I was inspired to increase the diversity of the Project Lead the Way engineering program at my high school. Strengthening the club, I was able to recruit several female members as well as members of countless ethnic backgrounds. Our monthly guest speakers further represented the diversity in the club. We continued through the year with bimonthly meetings, inspiring younger female high school students interested in STEM, and hearing how local engineers navigate being one of the few women within their field. Receiving this scholarship will assist with funding my undergraduate education at the University of Southern California, allowing me to graduate with my engineering degree and less of a financial struggle. With this funding, I will be able to dedicate time to USC’s Society of Women Engineers, engineering competitions, research opportunities, and entrepreneurial student groups, expanding my network and gaining valuable career-related experience outside the classroom. I believe participating in these endeavors will enhance my future and prepare me to achieve my goals.

I developed an interest in the aerospace industry and spacecraft development through my Project Lead the Way Aerospace Engineering class. Through a research project, I learned about the presence of “space junk,” or debris from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft, in our atmosphere. If the trash continues to accumulate, there is a possibility of an entire orbital path made of space junk surrounding Earth. I am passionate about sustainability on Earth and I believe the pollution habits of humans should not be transported to space. I am pursuing an astronautical engineering degree at the University of Southern California, following my aspiration to develop spacecraft that can collect the debris left in space from previous missions. I believe I can assist with developing a method for bringing the space junk back to Earth and recycling it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I want to make a difference outside of Earth, protecting our surrounding environment and encouraging exploration for years to come. From elementary school, I excelled in my math and science classes, knowing I wanted to pursue a STEM field. However, it was hard for me to find engineering related experiences outside of the classroom. When I began high school, I wanted to give opportunities to younger students who also have a passion for STEM, so I started my own organization, STEM With Audrey, to offer knowledge and resources surrounding science, technology, and innovation. I learned engineering and problem-solving principles from my Project Lead the Way classes that helped me brainstorm ideas for my organization’s curriculum. I developed my first online course, Intro to Engineering, which explained several science and engineering fields and showed students how STEM is used everywhere. Preparing students for higher thinking, I included a project where they would choose one of their favorite items and discover a way to improve it. I walked them through the design process, having them revise their design, learn about accessibility, and build a prototype. Solving these underlying problems exposes students to the creativity and innovation behind engineering. I shared the course with my previous private school and it was used with over 150 students in the STEM classroom. I felt delighted knowing students were learning from my resources. I am currently creating a Girls in STEM virtual camp for middle school students. It will allow young engineers to share their experiences with each other. Throughout the camp, I will prepare the girls for high school, informing them about the Project Lead the Way program and Society of Women Engineers clubs. I will share my own experiences as a member of these groups and especially communicate the importance of persevering through hardships to represent the small percentage of women in STEM. I will expand STEM With Audrey in the future, offering in-person camps and opening a summer program. I will branch out to students around the globe without access to STEM programs and with limited educational opportunities. I hope to invite undergraduates and professionals to join my program, helping me build foundations for STEM students and prepare them for their successful futures.

My interest in engineering began when I designed a foot orthosis prototype in seventh grade and took the opportunity to join Project Lead the Way in high school. Coming from a small, private school, I wanted to find a group of like-minded people and explore my interests so I joined Society of Women Engineers (SWE) as the only freshman. I am now honored to serve as the club president. I invite guest speakers of different disciplines to talk about their experiences. We collaborate and assist underclassmen through small competitions and prepare them through tutoring. I had the opportunity to participate in an all girls coding camp where I met my project group. We learned how to code in Apple’s programming language, Swift, helping each other when we encountered errors, and eventually worked together to develop a motivational app. We each coded a page of the app, experimented with user interface and experience, and presented as a team, receiving positive feedback from everyone. Learning about the natural world in AP Environmental Science inspired me to begin volunteering at the California Living Museum, where I saw concepts from the classroom, like trophic pyramids and species adaptation, and realized the importance of allowing animals to stay in their natural habitats. As an engineer, I was more motivated to make sure human activity is separated from animal habitats and that all regulations are followed. I have strengthened my leadership and innovative mindset through starting my own organization, STEM With Audrey, that offers knowledge and resources surrounding science, technology, and innovation. I learned engineering and problem-solving principles from my Project Lead the Way classes that helped me brainstorm ideas for my organization’s curriculum. I developed my first online course, Intro to Engineering, which explained several science and engineering fields and showed students how STEM is used everywhere. Preparing students for higher thinking, I included a project where they would choose one of their favorite items and discover a way to improve it. I walked them through the design process, having them revise their design, learn about accessibility and sustainability, and build a prototype. Solving these underlying problems exposes students to the creativity and innovation behind every STEM subject. I developed an interest in the aerospace industry and spacecraft development through my Project Lead the Way Aerospace Engineering class. Through a research project, I learned about the presence of “space junk,” or debris from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft, in our atmosphere. If the trash continues to accumulate, there is a possibility of an entire orbital path made of space junk surrounding Earth. I am passionate about sustainability on Earth and I believe the pollution habits of humans should not be transported to space. I am pursuing an astronautical engineering degree at the University of Southern California, following my aspiration to develop spacecraft that can collect the debris left in space from previous missions. I believe I can assist with developing a method for bringing the space junk back to Earth and recycling it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I want to make a difference outside of Earth, protecting our surrounding environment and encouraging exploration for years to come.

I developed an interest in the aerospace industry and spacecraft development through my Project Lead the Way Aerospace Engineering class. I learned about the presence of “space junk,” or debris from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft, in our atmosphere. If the trash continues to accumulate, there is a possibility of an entire orbital path made of space junk surrounding Earth. I am passionate about sustainability on Earth and I believe the pollution habits of humans should not be transported to space. I was assigned a research project to develop a method to remove or prevent this junk from accumulating in space. With my project group, I was able to design a theoretical spacecraft that would collect the debris left in space from previous missions, bringing it back to Earth for recycling. The spacecraft would communicate with Earth-based satellites, tracking areas with high amounts of space junk and targeting those areas of space first. We brainstormed ways the junk could be compressed within the spacecraft and recycled to create a combined metal able to be used in future spacecraft construction. I am pursuing an astronautical engineering degree at the University of Southern California, following my aspiration to develop spacecraft that can collect the debris left in space from previous missions. I believe I can assist with developing a tangible method for bringing the space junk back to Earth and recycling it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I want to make a difference outside of Earth, protecting our surrounding environment and encouraging exploration for years to come. Studying Bernoulli’s principle in my aerospace engineering class, I was given the opportunity to redesign an airfoil to increase the speed of a fighter jet. Meticulously documenting my research and design process, I included equations and calculations within my engineering notebook to prove the airfoil would increase air flow. Then, within my Project Lead the Way Digital Electronics course, I have learned that circuitry creates unexpected complexities. When designing a circuit, it is important to think about the audience. Accessibility skills play a vital role within engineering and technological developments. If a circuit or device is being used by a visually impaired individual, I, as an engineer, must incorporate a vocal feature. Then, this individual has the same access to the device and the same advantages as someone who isn’t visually impaired. I also always strive to simplify my circuits and stay away from using a large variety of Integrated Circuit chips. I learned that in a professional setting, pricing is an immense factor for businesses and consumers. A circuit that uses a variety of IC chips may cost more to produce than a circuit with two to three different chips. This saves a company money when producing circuits, reduces complexity, and therefore decreases the possibility of circuit failure. I use conversions to create full NAND and NOR circuits and determine which combination uses the fewest amount and variety of chips to decrease the circuit’s complexity.

I developed an interest in the aerospace industry and spacecraft development through my Project Lead the Way Aerospace Engineering class. Through a research project, I learned about the presence of “space junk,” or debris from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft, in our atmosphere. If the trash continues to accumulate, there is a possibility of an entire orbital path made of space junk surrounding Earth. I am passionate about sustainability on Earth and I believe the pollution habits of humans should not be transported to space. I am pursuing an astronautical engineering degree, following my aspiration to develop spacecraft that can collect the debris left in space from previous missions. I believe I can assist with developing a method for bringing the space junk back to Earth and recycling it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I want to make a difference outside of Earth, protecting our surrounding environment and encouraging exploration for years to come. From elementary school, I excelled in my math and science classes, knowing I wanted to pursue a STEM field. However, it was hard for me to find engineering related experiences outside of the classroom. When I began high school, I wanted to give opportunities to younger students who also have a passion for STEM, so I started my own organization, STEM With Audrey, to offer knowledge and resources surrounding science, technology, and innovation. I learned engineering and problem-solving principles from my Project Lead the Way classes that helped me brainstorm ideas for my organization’s curriculum. I developed my first online course, Intro to Engineering, which explained several science and engineering fields and showed students how STEM is used everywhere. Preparing students for higher thinking, I included a project where they would choose one of their favorite items and discover a way to improve it. I walked them through the design process, having them revise their design, learn about accessibility, and build a prototype. Solving these underlying problems exposes students to the creativity and innovation behind engineering. I shared the course with my previous private school and it was used with over 150 students in the STEM classroom. I felt delighted knowing students were learning from my resources. I am currently creating a Girls in STEM virtual camp for middle school students. It will allow young engineers to share their experiences with each other. Throughout the camp, I will prepare the girls for high school, informing them about the Project Lead the Way program and Society of Women Engineers clubs. I will share my own experiences as a member of these groups and especially communicate the importance of persevering through hardships to represent the small percentage of women in STEM. I will expand STEM With Audrey in the future, offering in-person camps and opening a summer program. I will branch out to students around the globe without access to STEM programs and with limited educational opportunities. I hope to invite undergraduates and professionals to join my program, helping me build foundations for STEM students and prepare them for their successful futures.

I developed an interest in the aerospace industry and spacecraft development through my Project Lead the Way Aerospace Engineering class. Through a research project, I learned about the presence of “space junk,” or debris from satellites, rockets, and other spacecraft, in our atmosphere. If the trash continues to accumulate, there is a possibility of an entire orbital path made of space junk surrounding Earth. I am passionate about sustainability on Earth and I believe the pollution habits of humans should not be transported to space. I am pursuing an astronautical engineering degree at the University of Southern California, following my aspiration to develop spacecraft that can collect the debris left in space from previous missions. I believe I can assist with developing a method for bringing the space junk back to Earth and recycling it in an innovative way, such as compressing it and creating a sustainable material for new spacecraft. Then, I want to engineer future spacecraft with this sustainability in mind so that they will produce less space debris as they exit our atmosphere. I want to make a difference outside of Earth, protecting our surrounding environment and encouraging exploration for years to come. At USC, I will have the resources to land an internship with and eventually work for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, helping develop and launch spacecraft. Then, I will be directly prepared for a career as an engineer. I eventually want to start my own company and produce groundbreaking additions to spacecraft to sell to top companies such as Boeing. I hope to contribute significantly to the aerospace industry from my engineering perspective. Within my senior year Project Lead the Way engineering class, I realized I was only one of two girls which presented a significantly new environment for me. For every project in this Digital Electronics course, I was paired to work with one of my male classmates. They were each respectful of my ideas, but I always noticed the shift in their mood hearing they were partnered with me instead of their other male friends. I experienced some disagreements, but always communicated my ideas thoroughly so they could understand my point of view. This environment inspired me to strengthen the Society of Women Engineers club for underclassmen. I became club president at the beginning of my senior year, recruiting other female board members, and began reaching out to local female engineers. I was inspired to increase the diversity of the Project Lead the Way engineering program at my high school. Strengthening the club, I was able to recruit several female members as well as members of countless ethnic backgrounds. Our monthly guest speakers further represented the diversity in the club. We continued through the year with bimonthly meetings, inspiring younger female high school students interested in STEM, and hearing how local engineers navigate being one of the few women within their field. Receiving this scholarship will assist with funding my undergraduate education at the University of Southern California, allowing me to graduate with my engineering degree and less of a financial struggle. With this funding, I will be able to dedicate time to USC’s Society of Women Engineers, engineering competitions, research opportunities, and entrepreneurial student groups, expanding my network and gaining valuable career-related experience outside the classroom. I believe participating in these endeavors will enhance my future and prepare me to achieve my goals.