Inspiration, Dreams, and Hopes From the beginning of the Cold War, space exploration has not only been on the minds of Americans’, but it has also occupied countless minds throughout the world. Overtime, as the threats of a war between the United States of America and the Soviet Union quieted, it also seemed that space exploration was no longer a loud, screaming thought in the minds of people all over the globe. There have been many space missions completed by various countries since the Cold War, but to me the most exciting and interesting space technological invention did not come along until November 26, 2011, when the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) launched their Curiosity Rover, which was bound for Mars. The Curiosity Rover not only inspired me when I was trying to decide on a field of study, but it also seems to have inspired many other people in the world today, to chase their dreams in space and technology. I remember being in the eighth grade when my science teacher talked in class about the Curiosity Rover. You can imagine all the wacky questions our teacher got from a bunch of thirteen and fourteen year olds and all of our speculations and theories about NASA looking for aliens. Our theories were partly right; not only was the Rover looking for conditions that could have supported life in the past, but it was also searching for signs that Mars could support life in the future. For me, this was mind blowing. How could a human ever live on Mars? But then I remembered how crazy it must have been for people to think about going to the moon in the 1960s. I was inspired by the Curiosity Rover, because it pushes the boundaries of what is humanly possible to achieve while using technology. The rover searches for information that can allow humans to colonize Mars in the future, which could offer solutions for problems such as, Earth’s overpopulation, air pollution, water pollution, and many more problems here on Earth. Inspiration from the Curiosity Rover has led to other programs reaching for space and beyond, and has helped me to decide on pursuing a degree in chemical engineering. I plan on attending The University of Alabama in Huntsville in the fall of 2022, to start my journey in earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, and I will possibly even move on to earning a master’s degree. Applying to internships is very important to me because I hope to further my education and work experience in real life situations. NASA, Redstone Arsenal, and many others in the Huntsville area offer internships to young engineers that I am excited about applying for in the future. My dream is to continue in this field of work, and my hope is that my future achievements will inspire young women to pursue a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), the same way the Curiosity Rover inspired me to pursue a career in chemical engineering.