While I do not have deep hands-on experience building AI or machine learning systems from scratch, I have actively used AI tools throughout my academic journey to sharpen my understanding, accelerate my learning, and approach complex problems more efficiently than I ever could alone. As an electrical engineering student at Jackson State University with a long term goal of entering the motorsports industry, I have used AI to help break down difficult engineering concepts, organize technical research, and think through problems in ways that pushed my understanding further and faster. That experience, though not traditional coding or app development, taught me something important about what AI actually is at its core: a tool that amplifies human capability when used with intention and genuine curiosity. It also made me realize that I want to understand these systems on a much deeper level, not just as a user but eventually as someone who builds and applies them. I am drawn to the AI and machine learning field because I can see how deeply it is beginning to intersect with the industries I care most about. In motorsports, AI is already being used for predictive vehicle analytics, real time telemetry interpretation, tire degradation modeling, and performance optimization across entire race strategies. As someone pursuing a career in powertrain electronics and ECU development, I recognize that machine learning is not a separate field from electrical engineering but an extension of it, and engineers who understand both will be the ones solving the most important problems in the next decade. I also grew up in Philadelphia, a city where access to cutting edge technology and the education surrounding it is not equally distributed. Part of what drives me toward fields like AI and engineering is the understanding that representation matters. When young people from underserved communities do not see themselves reflected in these industries, they do not pursue them. I want to be someone who changes that by showing up, performing at a high level, and making my path visible to those who come after me. I will be honest that I am still early in my journey with AI and machine learning, and I see this scholarship as a real opportunity to go deeper and transition from someone who uses these tools to someone who truly understands and eventually builds with them. The field is evolving faster than almost any other, and I am committed to evolving with it.

When I think about diversity in STEM, I do not think about statistics or policy talking points. I think about a kid from South Philadelphia who loved engines, lived with Type 1 Diabetes, and never saw anyone who looked like him or shared his story working in the field he dreamed of entering. That kid is me, and that experience is exactly why diverse representation in STEM is not just important, its necessary. Growing up in South Philly, I was surrounded by brilliant, creative, hardworking people who never had a clear path into science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Not because the talent was not there, but because the representation was not. When young people cannot see themselves reflected in a field, it becomes very difficult to believe that field is meant for them. Representation sends a message that does not require words. It tells the next generation what is possible simply by existing. For me, that absence was felt in more ways than one. As a person of color from an underserved community, I already faced barriers that many of my peers did not. On top of that, I have managed Type 1 Diabetes since the age of three, a condition that adds a layer of complexity to everyday life that most people never have to consider. Yet those exact experiences, navigating a healthcare system, advocating for myself and others through our nonprofit Chase Away Diabetes, and learning resilience in the face of something that never goes away, gave me a perspective that I believe makes me a stronger future engineer, not a weaker one. Diverse representation matters because diversity of experience leads to better thinking, better problem solving, and better outcomes. STEM fields are responsible for shaping the world we all live in. The cars we drive, the medical devices that keep people like me alive, the infrastructure of our cities, all of it is built by engineers and scientists. If the people designing those systems all come from the same backgrounds and share the same life experiences, entire communities will continue to be overlooked in the solutions being created. When engineers come from different walks of life, they bring different questions to the table, and those questions lead to innovations that serve a much broader range of people. Beyond innovation, diverse representation in STEM creates a cycle of access. When a young person from South Philly sees an engineer who grew up where they grew up, or a scientist who manages a chronic illness and still built a career they are proud of, that visibility becomes fuel. It becomes proof. It is the difference between a dream feeling distant and a dream feeling possible. I am pursuing mechanical engineering because I love the work, but also because I want to be that proof for someone else. I want to sit in a room where decisions are being made and bring a perspective that would not otherwise be in that room. Diversity in STEM is not about filling a quota. It is about building a field that is as complex, capable, and human as the world it is meant to serve.

My name is Chase DuPont, and I am a product of South Philadelphia, a community that taught me that love is something you show, not just something you say. I grew up surrounded by sports, music, art, and anything with an engine, but the experience that has shaped me most began when I was just three years old. In August of 2011, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I was too young to fully understand what that meant, but my mother understood completely, and instead of letting fear take over, she turned our pain into purpose. Together, my mom and I founded Chase Away Diabetes, a nonprofit dedicated to advocating for those living with T1D who cannot always advocate for themselves. We hosted fundraising events, back to school bag giveaways, block parties, and community gatherings open to everyone in our neighborhood. Watching my mother pour everything she had into our community, while also managing my condition, my care, and our family, is something I will never forget. She is the reason I believe that your hardest moments can become your greatest opportunity to serve others. She is the reason I want to build a life that gives back. Alongside that calling, I have carried a second passion my entire life, mechanical engineering. From the time I was old enough to follow my mom to the driveway, I was fascinated by engines and how things worked. I went from watching oil changes to doing them myself, and from admiring motorcycles to installing parts on my own bike. Taking systems apart, understanding them, and putting them back together has never felt like work to me. It has always felt like home. Throughout high school, I also competed in basketball all four years, and by my junior and senior year I had earned the starting point guard position. Playing point guard taught me how to lead under pressure, make decisions quickly, and put my team before myself. Those are lessons that have carried over into every area of my life, and I am a better person and future engineer because of them. My greatest strength is my resilience. Managing Type 1 Diabetes every single day, monitoring levels, making constant adjustments, and never getting a break, has taught me discipline and mental toughness that cannot be learned in a classroom. My weakness is that I can be hard on myself when I fall short, but I have learned to use that same intensity to push forward rather than give up. I know what it means to face something that never goes away and keep going anyway. My dream is to work at the intersection of engineering and community, to one day design the systems that power tomorrow's vehicles, while also mentoring young people from underserved communities like South Philly who have the talent but not always the opportunity. I have lived that story, and I want to be the person I needed when I was younger. This scholarship would mean more than financial support. It would be a confirmation that my story matters, that where I come from does not limit where I am going, and that the sacrifices my mother made were not made in vain. I am ready to carry everything South Philadelphia, T1D, and Chase Away Diabetes taught me into a career and a life built on purpose.

Growing up in South Philadelphia, I learned early on that passion and community are two of the most powerful forces a person can have. My name is Chase DuPont, and my life has been shaped by both. I am a South Philly native who loves sports, music, art, and anything with an engine, but more than anything, I am someone who believes in showing up for the people around you. In August of 2011, at just three years old, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. That diagnosis changed my life, but not in the way most people might expect. Rather than letting it define me in a negative way, it became the foundation of something much bigger. My mom and I turned that challenge into a calling by founding our nonprofit, Chase Away Diabetes. Through the years, we hosted fundraising events, back-to-school bag giveaways, block parties, and community gatherings open to everyone. Watching my family pour so much love into our surrounding community taught me what it truly means to lead with purpose. It showed me that your hardest moments can become your greatest motivation to serve others. That same drive and curiosity has always carried over into my love for cars and motorcycles. For as long as I can remember, anything with an engine had my full attention. As I got older, that fascination turned hands on, from doing oil changes on my mom's car to installing parts on my bike in the driveway. Taking things apart, figuring out how they worked, and putting them back together became one of my favorite things to do. It came naturally, and it never felt like work. Pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering is the next step in turning that lifelong passion into a profession. This program will provide me with the structured technical foundation I need to go beyond instinct and truly understand the systems and forces behind the machines I love. I am eager to deepen my knowledge of engineering principles, materials, and design in a way that challenges me and prepares me for a competitive industry. My long-term goal is to build a career in automotive or motorsport engineering, where I can contribute to designing and improving the systems that power the vehicles of tomorrow. But beyond personal success, I want my career to reflect the same values I was raised with community, service, and impact. I hope to mentor young people from underserved communities who have the talent and drive but not always the resources or guidance, and show them that a career in engineering is within reach no matter where you come from. South Philadelphia made me who I am. T1D taught me resilience. Chase Away Diabetes taught me how to lead. And my passion for mechanics taught me that when you love what you do, there is nothing you cannot figure out.