The reason why I decided to go with engineering as my major was because it was a mixture of my favorite things. Once I found my love for STEM in the 5th grade, it was only a matter of time. I was always a curious child, and so problem solving was a hobby of mine. I always wanted to include problem solving into any prospective career path of mine, and so once I found out I could use STEM to solve problems out in the real world, I was hooked, and ever since the 7th grade, being an engineer was my passion. However, the issue came up of what kind of engineer I wanted to be. In my freshman year engineering class, we primarily focused on mechanical and electrical engineering so I always figured when the time came, I’d pick between those two. It wasn't until my sophomore year of highschool when I took my first full blown chemistry class that I decided I wanted to become a chemical engineer. I fell in love with chem almost instantly. For some reason, element bonding and stoichiometry came to me much easier than anything I ever did for mechanical or electrical engineering. When I first began to enjoy chemistry, I was faced with a serious dilemma. I didn’t know about chemical engineering, and so, I was split on whether I wanted to stick to engineering, or switch over to chemistry. I tossed and turned until I had an epiphany. What if there was some way I could do both, if some sort of mixture existed, and lo and behold, chemical engineering. Once I found out of its existence, my mind was set. I took classes that would help me advance and learn more about the subjects that would be touched upon. Besides chemistry and the engineering courses I took, I decided to look at physics, where another passion was born. The theoretical problem solving that occurs in Physics enamored and enthralled me. Knowing that it was also found in chemical engineering cemented in my head that this is what I want to do in my life. Knowing that I can do something that combined all of my favorite academic topics made picking what I wanted to do clear. My cousin Mahilet is one year older than me, currently a freshman in university. She is also my best friend and the person I think I am closest with in the world. We grew up in a unique situation compared to other Ethiopian kids we knew, as their families took on American traits quickly, whereas our families stuck to their traditional Habesha ways. Due to this, we mostly relied on one another to get through life. Whenever we would get bullied at school because of our different traits and behaviors, we always knew the other would be there to accept and help us. As we grew into teenagers, this bond really came to fruition when arguments with our parents were common. As we entered highschool, one thing we promised ourselves was that we would get more freedom, freedom our parents seem content with holding. We would always go to the other to both vent out our frustrations but also have a voice of reason. As teenagers, there were moments where we had outrageous demands, and the other would always keep us in check, which is where the beauty in our relationship layed. We always had the other as a safe space, a person we could talk to and knew wouldn’t judge us, yet was also a grounding point, keeping each other in check. She was there to judge my character, and make sure I grew into a person I would be proud of becoming, and for that I thank her Apart from my chosen major, something I would like to learn in college would be teaching/childcare, as becoming a teacher has always been something I've liked the idea of, and being able to share the information I've gained through my college education to others would be a dream come true.