Education has allowed me to become confident in myself. When I was younger, I always knew I was smart and had a natural gift in school. By the time I got to high school, I began to study for almost all of my classes because my talent was no longer sufficient to excel in classes. The moment I started studying for self-improvement was the moment that my confidence began to skyrocket. Being knowledgeable in things that I am passionate about enables me to be eager to learn even more. I have teachers that have the same curiosity in the subject they teach that I have while learning and it inspires me to always ask questions and to understand everything that I am being taught. Having a community of students and teachers that share a passion for math and science encourages me to continue learning beyond the requirements. Education has taught me to manage my time, take responsibilities seriously, and focus on things that are important to me. One of the most important things my recent classes have taught me is to ask questions. Ever since I was little, teachers always said I could ask questions, but I never understood the importance of it. Recently, my teachers have reiterated that asking questions benefits one's own understanding as well as other students' understanding. My education has allowed me to be confident in myself, be curious, and ask questions. The teachers in my life have influenced me in the best ways possible, and I believe a good education is invaluable.

Throughout my childhood, I did not know many people involved with STEM. I heard of engineers and types of scientists, but I never knew what they did or why they were so important. My sister started high school when I was in sixth grade. She joined FIRST Robotics and spent a lot of time outside of school with the team. When my sister had her first robotics competition, my mom brought my friend and I to experience something new. The feeling I got when I entered the arena was surreal. Now, my sister is in college, almost done with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering. She is persistent in what she wants and has been awarded with numerous honors and awards with her academics and research. She encouraged me to have my own passion for mathematics and engineering. My sister is my biggest reason for pursuing engineering, and I will always be grateful for her. Next fall I am beginning college and I could not be happier to have chosen electrical engineering as my major. Later on, I want to do research and help create new advances in technology. I hope to be involved with local high schools to encourage students to learn about STEM and discover activities and clubs such as FIRST Robotics. Promoting awareness and teaching students about STEM is a long-term goal of mine and I hope to spark passion for engineering among the younger generations.

Throughout my childhood, I always loved math class. I favored my multiplication worksheets over reading assignments in elementary school, and math continues to be my strongest subject in my senior year of high school. I signed up for an engineering class my freshman year of high school because I needed a technology credit. Soon after, I joined a FIRST Robotics team, and I began to fall in love with STEM. At robotics, I jumped around from section to section, and eventually landed on electrical work. Being able to create electronics systems and see them be successful as completed robots is the best gift I have received in my education. I spent countless hours researching different types of engineering after I was first exposed to the introductory class when I was fourteen. Two disciplines stuck out to me: electrical engineering and biomedical engineering. Having a keen sense for detail and a drive for perfection led me towards these two career pathways, but I was hesitant to choose between them. As my senior year drew closer, college was becoming a bigger and bigger decision that I would have to make. My future became clear once I realized I could complete an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and obtain a master's degree in biomedical engineering. Health-related problems are faced in almost every household, and even though there are many solutions to these problems, many are still unsolved. One problem that I dream of working on is creating bionic prosthetics that are affordable and accessible. Allowing amputees to have working limbs again would allow for freedom and confidence in their lives. No matter what problems I face in my future career of engineering, I know my education and passion will allow me to create a solution that is successful.

Ann-E is a sixty-pound American Pit-bull mix that my family adopted from a local shelter in 2018. She is a blanket-lover, nap-taker, and snuggle-bug. She has interesting ways of sitting, sometimes she sits on her knees or she slouches like a teddy-bear. Ann-E loves to tear up plastic and make messes of toys in the house. She has no problem getting up close and personal for kisses and cuddles. With her Christmas birthday, she reminds us that she truly is a gift to us all everyday. Instagram: em.hertel