I come from a low-income background, but both my parents have instilled in me the importance of higher education. My parents’ intention for moving to the United States is to have a bright future, and they know that higher education is the first step to build that future. Growing up as a first-generation American, however, I have learned that higher education is impactful not only to my future but for the future of the world as well. Arizona State University nurtures my learning experience so that it an also have a significant impact before graduation; this public research university prides itself in innovation and even provides opportunities to freshman. I am also involved with Barrett the Honors College, which allows me to thrive in service-oriented application. As such, I can maximize my passion of serving the community. This passion begins with my younger brother who is autistic. He inspires me to be empathetic and learn about other disabilities. Because of him, I have discovered how large the disabled community is. In researching how to improve the lives of people with disabilities, I realized that a major issue resides in the accessibility of technology. Our world is technologically dependent but not everyone can fully utilize it. Thus began my journey to become a software engineer with a mission to develop accessible technology that accommodates for disabilities. Using my resources at university brought me towards many mentors. I began with the Barrett Peer Mentor program in which I connected with freshmen as well as upperclassmen in similar majors. From this program, I learned about the various research opportunities available at ASU. My mentors encouraged me to talk to each of my professors about my passion for accessible technology and see if I can join or initiate a research project. They were always there when I needed anything whether it be a coffee or study session. My time with my Barrett Peer Mentors inspired me to join the program again for my sophomore year, this time as a mentor myself. As I explored more direct initiatives, I came across the Grand Challenges Scholars Program, which is specifically directed towards engineers working towards grand challenges. This extracurricular began with an introductory class in which we developed a future solution project. My future solution project was a voice recording practice box directed towards people with speech apraxia. The future solution project is done in a group and one of my groupmates has that disability. Therefore, I got the opportunity to work with her and garner insight in how people with disabilities view accessible technology and what they desire from such technology. Having her perspective was helpful, and it is one that I will incorporate into my future research projects. As I introduced myself to my professors, I discovered that one is working on accessibility research with others in the Computer Science and Engineering department. She invited me to join her research in spring 2021. When I joined, I learned that they were working on developing an artificial intelligence driven classroom for the deaf and hard of hearing community. This virtual classroom would strive to teach sign language with artificial intelligence to improve the lives of the deaf and hard of hearing community. Being part of this research team means that I would learn sign language on my own as well. I am proud to be part of this research team and am looking forward to the progress we make with this project and with future ones. Because of higher education, I can continue to make profound research related to my passions and more.