My decision to pursue mechanical engineering as a career path was influenced by my countless visits to The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. In my younger years, I got accustomed to the entrance lobby of The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Inside the museum, the cool air worked in unison with my sweat from the summer heat to cause shivers down my spine every time we visited. My father was a staff member at the museum which allowed my family to enter the museum at a much cheaper price. Immersing myself in the attractions, I built a connection towards the advancement in technology throughout the years. looking at how cars changed to incorporate a more secure frame and design to prioritize safety and speed. I couldn't help but be inspired, a smile almost forming across my face, thinking about what other advancements are possible. It is this feeling of curiosity and uncertainty that I adore engineering. There is not one single solution to a problem and not every solution is fixed. Currently, I'm building myself to be the best possible version of myself. Struggling to hold conversations with people, feeling awkward like my breath is being held hostage. Looking away from people, when I should maintain eye contact. Making connections with people is one of my top priorities as of now. Furthermore, it is through those connections I want to climb the ladder of best possible engineering positions. standing on the hard floor, I want to feel flying through an elevator seeing the rising city landscape as I head towards my office. I don't want to settle for less, but to work for what I know I'm worth. In the end, I want to achieve this sense of fulfillment that I've experienced in my younger years through the art of engineering. The rush of joy and relief of anxiety that work simultaneously when you complete a complicated science problem. Even recently, logging advancements in product designs to further elevate a part's usefulness. I want to build something that'll be a great use to everyone. Mechanical engineers work in groups to share ideas and propose solutions for improving a finished product. The only thing I can share with engineers is the feeling of anxiety and stress from unfinished workload in my courses. Remembering how my skin shivered and froze due to the ungraded assignment marked on canvas. The constant headaches around the time of finals week, when my stomach ate itself so I could prioritize studying for my exams. However, I could only relate to my fellow engineers through my education and not my personal upbringing as a Latin American. Having no one to talk about the challenges of living in America as a Hispanic, limits my goal of connecting with my peers. I'm demoralized between pursuing a career while being the only person of my ethnicity to do so. Or being contempt staying at a much lower position if that meant having a better connection with my community. Either way, I'd feel unaccomplished and disappointed in myself because I didn't pursue my goal but for also needing to stick close to people like me. Nonetheless, as a current college student this scholarship will help me ease my tension for paying for my tuition. It's bad enough I'm worried about my classes and whether I'll be able to continue pursuing my education at my school. Still, with a scholarship like this I won't have to worry as much, taking much needed weight off my back allowing me to give it my all in my courses.

My freshman year of high school was held during the Covid-19 pandemic, which required all courses to meet on Zoom. Living on the basement floor, my room had a blue tint that covered my disorganized bed full of blankets and pillows. Mornings would be difficult since, immediately after waking up, my eyes were blinded by the brightly colored screen of my iPad. Classes felt like a chore often filled with my teacher's echoes without any response from the class. The silence emphasized how odd it felt coming into high school without entering through a grand entrance. Talking with friends didn't help either. Compared to our endless discussions and silly banter sitting next to each other shoulder to shoulder. Connecting with each other through our cell phones slowly stopped. After freshman year, students were allowed back on to campus entering sophomore year. The joy and excitement in people's voices filled the hallways as friend groups and old classmates reunite once again. However, It was clear to me that my old middle school classmates were completely different people than before. Most of my friends started to grow facial hair; A few lost weight and gained muscle; and all of my friends' perspective of themselves changed. While I supported my peer’s transformations, I couldn’t compare to their achievements. During the lockdown, I indulged in piles of potato chips, boxes of cheesy pizza, and drowned in cans of soda. Spent hours of my free time hooked to my phone that whenever I looked in the mirror, I saw bags under my eyes. My peers seized their chance for change, meanwhile I let that chance slip by. Feeling disappointed and ashamed of my lack of accomplishments I began to distance myself from my peers. When I found myself around large groups of people, I felt my heartbeat rapidly increase. My hands sweat profusely, and my skin would begin to boil. I had severe social anxiety and low self-esteem that followed me throughout high school. Furthermore, my progress in school began to sink. Classes felt heavier to come back from when I fell behind on assignments. It was also in sophomore year when I was sentenced to detention in an old colorless room for the first time. I pondered for the entire period I was there asking myself where it all went wrong. Growing up with Mexican parents who were taught to never talk about their mental well-being also influenced my negative emotions. Talking with my parents left me stuttering after every breath, I was scared to cause confusion which would lead to rapid questioning. The look of concern that turned into relief but then immediately change to one of anger for causing such a mess. Thinking about my parents questioning about the severity of my negative thoughts, I chose to avoid bringing it up in conversation. I believed wholeheartedly that it was my responsibility to deal with this dilemma on my own. Never have I felt a feeling of loneliness like drifting in a vast ocean with no one in sight. Clutching my stomach to suppress the void I felt. Mental Health in my generation requires more coverage to help teens realize that they're not alone. Hearing relatable experiences to mental health and the outcomes of addressing versus not addressing mental health. Leaves an impression on teens and young adults to open up about mental health to avoid outcomes like suicide.

Ever since discovering volleyball in middle school, I've dedicated myself to becoming an exceptional player. Initially, I lacked natural talent and physical prowess, but I was drawn to the sport. Through relentless determination, I transformed myself by shedding weight, honing my skills, and forging lasting friendships. A pivotal moment was joining my high school's boys' volleyball varsity team. Stepping onto the court, I felt invigorated and prepared to tackle any challenge. We practiced daily, conditioning our minds and bodies to perform at our peak on and off the court. I began to notice subtle changes: I became more confident in my speech and more composed in unfamiliar situations. Despite having good grades and inconsistent attendance at first, my grades improved after joining the volleyball team. My attendance also improved, as did my relationships with my teachers, counselors, and deans. However, we lost our very first volleyball game because we weren't communicating effectively with each other. It was disheartening and frustrating to witness my team and my perspective crumble before me. So, just as I did at the beginning, I aimed not only to become a great volleyball player but also an exceptional teammate. To be honest, I had never been part of an actual team until I joined the boys' varsity volleyball team. It was difficult learning what was appropriate for me to say at times when my teammates felt like giving up. However, to be a good influence, I not only had to take into account my teammates' well-being but also their feelings as we played together. By the end of the semester, we only won 3 games, however, I live with no regrets of my high school experience. My teammates aren't saddened by our atrocious win-to-loss ratio because we had fun playing every match together with each other. In the final days of practice, I found myself teaching valuable skills to junior varsity players who also did as bad as varsity did. I felt in my element teaching players who couldn't serve the ball past the net to being able to serve to the end of the court. Now that I'm on summer break I try to practice volleyball daily as well as teach my younger siblings some valuable skills as well. How I made an impact as a student athlete was as a teacher because of my intense knowledge of the sport. As well as having an optimistic attitude resulting in affecting my teammates' attitudes as well.