Good ways to live a long, healthy life are to practice good eating habits, exercise often and get good rest. They help ensure our physical body is functioning correctly and result in recovering faster along with other benefits. Our mental health plays a factor in our health, too. Depression can lead to a multitude of problems such as bad sleeping habits, loss of appetite, muscle aches and headaches. Yes, there are medications to reduce the effects of depression and other mental health issues. However, I think there’s a better medicine. After school I work in retail as a cashier so I communicate with a lot of people throughout the day. There was one particular person that stood out though. I was helping out a bright gentleman that was cracking jokes and had a genuine smile on his face. It had been a long day so I was a bit drained. He kept making me laugh, and I felt an instant mood boost. I smiled at him and as he left he said to me, “Laughter is the best medicine.” I think the best way to live a long, healthy life is to pump our bodies full of the strongest medication there is, laughter.

I’ve always had an interest in the STEM field throughout my high school career. FIRST Robotics was one of my favorites: the activities were competitive, innovative, and induced creativity. But do you know what they also encouraged? Safety! Every team had to have a safety captain to make sure our working environment was to code. When operating in the workshop we had to have our hair pulled back, safety glasses on, and a certified mentor present. It was a very important part of the team. When we went to competitions there was to be no dangerous equipment on the robot. There were robot inspectors to make sure nothing hazardous was on our robot or spark a flame. As a team, we had to make sure we passed this inspection the first time with the help of our safety team. My intended field of study is engineering. I want to become a practicing engineer because it exposes me to a variety of opportunities. One of these reasons is because it’s universal. When you become an engineer, the job opportunities are immense, and you aren’t stuck in one department. There are many departments to become an expert in. Another reason is all of the opportunities to advance in your career. With the right work ethic, you can progress fastly into management roles. An advantage of being an engineer is that it’s a highly reputable career that is respected by many people and recognized for the difficulty of its work. My favorite reason for me becoming an engineer is to revolutionize the way we keep people safe. Safety is a vital role in the engineering field. Without it, you would be exposed to the dangers of machines. As I pursue my degree in Engineering Management one of my goals is to be innovative and change the ways we create parts. Instead of people operating heavy machinery that poses dangers I’d like to make everything hands-off. The operators of these machines will become programmers of the machines, letting the machines do the dangerous part of the job. My long-term goal after I complete my education is to work with companies that create automated machinery. These types of machines can get expensive, but I’d like to work with a team to reduce the costs and make them more readily available. It would also create jobs as these machines will need programmers to operate them on a new level. As we come into this new era of technology, building parts will become easier but also safer.

My freshman year, I was introduced to robotics by my cousin. He is in the STEM field and encouraged me to join the high school’s robotics team. My father was a huge supporter of this, as he loves technology. As the season went on I learned more about myself. I soon realized I enjoyed the STEM field. Innovating, designing, testing and evaluating were a few of the many things I enjoyed about the club. I genuinely like being creative and having the ability to build machines. Isn’t it astonishing to live in a time where we can use all of these resources around us to our advantage? One of these incredible resources is the ability to make prosthetics for amputees. The people who became disadvantaged at unfortunate parts of their life. My father lost his leg at the age of 18, the time when life is supposed to start. With the use of technology that acts in place of a leg, he is able to maneuver like he would with two. This has allowed him to follow his passion for building homes and continued to do so for over thirty years. With new technology coming to light we’ve taken it several steps forward. We’ve been able to create consciously controlled limbs, bionic arms, and nerve detectors. All thanks to doctors and engineers we have been able to personalize people’s ability to walk or hold items. I would like to create even more efficient robotics. A couple of summers ago I had the opportunity to go to Michigan Technological University for their Women In Engineering program. In this program, I competed with like-minded individuals to make the most withstanding prosthetics. It inspired me to think about the number of people whose lives we changed with this altering technology. Now the real inspiration came from my teacher over at the community college. We were discussing how in previous years when knee-cap replacements were given they were broad and a universal fit for everyone, and to no surprise, they are not one-size-fits-all. He told us that we are able to mold personalized knee caps now due to the release of new technology coming out. My dad inspires me to be a better person and to learn about the world around me. I want to become an engineer. Not just any engineer, but one that manages and overlooks projects to make the world just a little bit better. I want to be at the forefront of these groundbreaking technologies that allow disadvantaged people to live practically normal lives.

My name is Cailyn Koerber and I am a senior at Gladwin High School. I was introduced to robotics by my cousin, he is in the STEM field and encouraged me to join my high school’s robotics team. As the season went on and I learned more about myself and realized I enjoyed the STEM field. Innovating, designing, testing and evaluating were a few of the many things I enjoyed about the club. I genuinely like being creative and having the ability to build machines. The summer before sophomore year I attended a Women In Engineering Program that I earned from a scholarship to learn more about the types of engineering. In my junior year, I got a part-time job to invest money into my future. Throughout my time in high school, I maintained an honor roll status, and I am taking a college-level class at our local community college to help my long-term goal of becoming a practicing engineer. After high school, I am going to attend Michigan Technological University to major in engineering management. I was accepted into their Palvis Honor Program and I am going to take part in the community through various volunteer work. If I could do anything with my life I imagine being innovative and having the ability to alter the way we produce parts. I enjoy working with robots and machines. I’d like to work in an industry to create machines that are hands-off. It would be cool to see where the manufacturing industry is at in 10 years and I’d like to be a part of that change.

Isn’t it astonishing to live in a time where we can use all of these resources around us to our advantage? One of these incredible resources is the ability to make prosthetics for amputees. The people who became disadvantaged at unfortunate parts of their life. My father lost his leg at the age of 18, the time when life is supposed to start. With the use of technology that acts in place of a leg, he is able to maneuver like he would with two. This has allowed him to follow his passion for building homes and continued to do so for over thirty years. With new technology coming to light we’ve taken it several steps forward. We’ve been able to create consciously controlled limbs, bionic arms, and nerve detectors. All thanks to doctors and engineers we have been able to personalize people’s ability to walk or hold items. A couple of summers ago I had the opportunity to go to Michigan tech for their Women In Engineering program. In this program, I competed with like-minded individuals to make the most withstanding prosthetics. It inspired me to think about the number of people whose lives we changed by digging a little deeper into the ability to make their lives easier. Now the real inspiration came from my teacher over at the community college. We were discussing how in previous years when knee-cap replacements were given they were broad and a universal fit for everyone, and to no surprise, they are not one-size-fits-all. He told us that we are able to mold personalized knee caps now due to the release of new technology coming out. I want to become an engineer. Not just any engineer, but one that manages and overlooks projects to make the world just a little bit better. I want to be at the forefront of these groundbreaking technologies that allow people to live practically normal lives.

When I was younger I remember food being a constant struggle. My mom was severely ill at this time and we had little money for food because we were surrounded by countless bills. We often found ourselves going to food pantries and food distributions hosted by local churches. Members of our church would come over and give us groceries and buy new clothes for my sister and me because we couldn’t afford any. My sister and I were often picked up by our grandparents and taken to their house so we could be fed. Poverty was a well-known part of my life. My parents tried their absolute best, but sometimes unfortunate circumstances happen in people’s lives. Now that I am older I look around at the struggles of other people and realize that I was once in their shoes. When I got into high school I joined the Kiwanis Key Club. The goal of this club is to express student leadership by serving others. In one of our weekly meetings, there was an opportunity for volunteer work. I signed up and drove down there the day of the event. Everyone was circled around, and we talked about our system of giving out food. I stayed there until the last car was served. My long-term goal is to continue serving others after I graduate high school. There were so many people growing up that had given so much to me and my family. I’d like to be able to give back, if not with money then with my time. There is no doubt that life is hard and to lessen that burden even a little means the world to others. Volunteering my time has taught me empathy and connection. There are moments of appreciation that come along with serving others.

There are immense opportunities in the business field. The business field has so many places to specialize in, and I found my passion in engineering management. The business field offers future potential, growth, and a global perspective. The interesting thing about business is how broad it is, and requires knowledge in a variety of fields like marketing and advertising. What interests me most about business is the cross fields between different career paths. For me, I would like to translate the language barrier between engineering and business. I joined DECA my freshman year in which they prepare future leaders for the business world. They do this through academic conferences and competitions. I took multiple business classes like AP Computer Science Principles, Introduction to Finance, and Personal & Family Finance. These classes have further added to my interest in the business field. By broadening my horizons like participating in business clubs and taking classes related to business it furthers my knowledge in the field. Computer Science is an essential part of this field because it’ll help make you more efficient in technology. The marketing world has transferred online, so computer science principles will hone your skills in attention to detail, organization, creativity, and communication. Along with this class, you will gain analytical and problem-solving abilities. Majoring in a business degree allows me to strengthen my project management skills. When you work with business challenges it teaches you problem-solving and how to properly prioritize your to-do list. It’ll take you through cost-effective approaches and gain accounting skills which play a huge role in the business field. There is so much opportunity for growth here. Studying business allows you to gain a global perspective. You have the opportunity to study abroad and meet people from all over. As I study Engineering Management at Michigan Technological University I get the opportunity to participate in the Silicon Valley Experience where we tour the heart of the tech business world. We travel up to Silicon Valley and talk to employees of these companies that come from all over. It is a way to get new insight and see things in a different way. It truly is valuable to have multiple viewpoints. Growth is my number one priority in life, and majoring in a business-related field only benefits me. It offers endless possibilities. What excites me most will be the ability to mix business with the STEM field which will only further our advancements in both.

The most inspiring book I’ve read is When Bad Things Happen To Good People by Harold S. Kushner. Kushner lost his son to a deadly disease called progeria. What makes this book different is the way he helps people through their grief. Instead of telling people “everything happens for a reason” and “they’re in a better place now” he tells them what happened to them was not fair. God does not choose people to go through bad things. It happens at random. It is not a punishment if one gets a terrible disease and another does not. He ends the book with the only comfort God can give people: the strength and courage to move on. God helps people get through their suffering, not cure it. When I was younger, my mother was deathly ill. Doctors shrugged their shoulders telling her they didn't know what was wrong. Others told her it was all in her head. I remember the pain in her eyes as she lay on the floor and cried. Day after day, tears ran down her face trying to face the fact that the physical pain would never leave and God was punishing her. God gave my mom the strength to make it day after day, although she never saw it that way. We went to church every Sunday for several years. All it took was one more doctor to find that my mom had dystonia, a movement disorder that was caused by a medication she was taking. It was not a punishment that she got sick, as Kushner said. Things happen at random and God just gives us the strength and courage to move forward. Kushner gave me a frame of reference to make sense of this in my world, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

There are a variety of things to do in your free time that provide a break from the stressors in your life. My hobbies include reading, robotics and watching documentaries. I love to grow my knowledge whether that be through new vocabulary or reading non fiction and fiction. Books have always been my safe place, somewhere where you need a break from the outside world. I enjoy reading series books that give the first person view. It makes me feel like I'm actually there. Robotics has been another passion of mine. During the season I'm putting in enough hours to be considered a full-time job and I enjoy every moment of it. I love the exposure to the mentorship and being with others that share the same passion I do. At night when I'm tired and want to wind down I like to put on a good documentary from history to animal facts. Watching documentaries gives me different perspectives on a variety of subjects so I always enjoy sitting down to learn something new. Hobbies mean something different to everybody. To me they include my passions and gaining knowledge. Reading books, participating in robotics and watching documentaries is how I spend my time and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.

As a woman, I have always had an interest in the STEM field. I am involved in a variety of student leadership clubs like FIRST, DECA, and NASA. They are all branches of engineering and business although I didn’t realize this at first. As a freshman, I was introduced to robotics by my cousin. Trying new things was out of my comfort zone for a while but I eventually made it a goal to try something new. I fell in love with it. Four years later I’m still competing in FIRST Robotics. I’m also involved in Advanced Manufacturing which covers machine shop practices and the fundamentals of robotics. Most of these programs I’m in are male dominant so it’s unique to see a female in the field. During robotics season I had the opportunity to lead our social media team and help with the design process of the robot using CAD. We hosted multiple mock competitions and even helped our competition with their robots. At the end of a competition that determines if you move forward, there are a variety of awards given to the top teams. One of the best awards is known as the chairman’s award. This award is the most prestigious award in FIRST. With the result of our hard work and dedication, we earned the chairman’s award. This was a huge turning point for our team and it made me realize that this success was the result of mentors teaching and students practicing leadership. Scholarships have always been a priority to me. They are the reason I’ve been able to attend camps my family would have never been able to afford. I’ve gone to MTU’s (Michigan Technological University) Women in Engineering program from a competitive scholarship and it changed my life. That program helped me achieve one of my many goals of building my networks and I still stay in contact with people I met up there. Being in the upper peninsula made me realize how much a scholarship like this would help me. For the past year I’ve been working in retail to help lower the cost of going to a university. Last year with the help of my Aunt I opened a interest-earning savings account for college but realistically it isn’t enough. Through DECA I realized I enjoyed business and my commitment to engineering made me want a mixture of both. My junior year I was a part of the student council and I enjoyed having a say in the community. I’ve always had a passion for leading others so I decided I wanted to attain a Bachelor's degree in Engineering Management. My goal in this field is to inspire others to produce prideful projects. Project managers organize projects like disaster relief to help others in times of need. My commitment to teamwork, leading others, and serving the community makes me a great candidate for this scholarship. In 10 years I see myself leading like-minded individuals to help serve others. Going into project management will allow me to help people in need and finding the funding is the first step. The combination of using engineering and business in a corporate setting is relatively new to companies so they need proactive leaders to point them in the right direction.

As a woman I have always had an interest in the STEM field. I am involved in a variety of student leadership clubs like FIRST, DECA, and NASA. They are all branches of engineering and business and I am constantly learning through them. Trying new things was out of my comfort zone for a while but I eventually made it a goal to try something new. I fell in love with all of it. Four years later I’m still competing through FIRST Robotics. I’m also involved in Advanced Manufacturing which covers machine shop practices and the fundamentals of robotics. Most of these programs I’m in are male dominant so it’s unique to see a female in the field. Through all of these variety of programs I learned to love education. I am passionate about being a part of a bigger community. There are so many opportunities in the STEM field and I have an appreciation for Robotics. Through all of these clubs I am united with like minded people. I've decided to pursue Engineering Management. The combination of engineering and business is what I've shown I enjoy. It's what I plan to get a farther education in and lead others to feel the same.

When people answer this question they are quick to tell you that it’s important not to smoke, to eat clean, and exercise often; which are all true. While these do contribute to your physical health, what about your mental health? I think the best way to live a long, healthy life is to surround yourself with people you care about. Your mental health is important and impacts you physically. Isolating yourself from people can lead to stress on your body causing chronic fatigue, headaches, insomnia, and a decrease in appetite. This can lead to a series of problems that can last a lifetime. During the COVID-19 isolation, there were a lot of people struggling, me included. I noticed I was suffering from some of these symptoms. When you hug someone it releases oxytocin which is known as the bonding hormone and can also release dopamine and serotonin. Stress hormones like cortisol are also released when hugging. Cortisol can cause weight gain, high blood pressure, and muscle weakness. There was a study done by Cohen, Doyle, Turner, Alper, & Skoner. (2003). Sociability and Susceptibility to the Common Cold and found that people who were socially isolated were 45% more likely to become ill. Your connection with people mentally has a physical impact on you. In conclusion, your mental health impacts you physically and plays a big role in your immune system. Loneliness can cause a multitude of health problems that impact your health and can shorten your lifespan. I have noticed that I have more energy now that I get to see my sister and go downstate to see family around the holidays. This has also motivated me to be more physically active and have more energy at work. It makes a difference.