This is an essay about a health obstacle that I overcame, and how it brought me to the career path of Civil Engineering and why I am passionate about pursuing it for a career. When I was ten months old, I became very sick. I was diagnosed with vesicoureteral reflux. We met with the top urologist in Boston. This was very dangerous as my kidney was enlarged, and my ureters were dilated. The doctor told my parents that I needed a surgery called ureteral reimplantation. This was a very invasive surgery where they would reconstruct my ureters, so they are attached deeper into the bladder wall. This was going to require an incision on my lower abdomen and could take 3-4 hours with risks and a very painful recovery. My parents went to Tufts there for a second option. The Urologist told my parents of a new less invasive procedure. It was fairly new but had good outcomes. My parents went ahead and chose the less invasive procedure and for fifteen years I was healthy. In my freshman year, I was accepted into a high school where I was able to specialize in engineering. While I was excited about the academic opportunity, adjusting to a new school, unfamiliar surroundings, and making new friends proved to be a challenging social and emotional experience. One day during gym class, I felt a sharp pain in my left side. When my parents came home from work, the pain had not subsided and was growing more intense. After pain medication failed to provide relief, and realizing this was more than just a cramp, we decided to go to the emergency room. It was determined that a material used during the surgery had come loose, and as a result, it caused calcifications on the same ureter I had surgery on as a baby. My body was completely blocking the kidney from filtering urine and transferring it to the bladder. My kidney was not functioning and was severely swollen to over twice its size. I was admitted to the hospital, and the next morning, I underwent surgery. It was a long recovery, and it was successful. I stayed home for over a month recovering. I felt so scared, sad and alone. It was my first year at a new school and all of my friends were new. The bonds that I have with them now were not formed yet. I didn’t have anyone, except my parents and sister. The school was very understanding, and it took a lot of hard work to catch up. I stayed after school over three times a week and with a lot of support from my teachers I was able to complete everything I missed. On top of trying to catch up on my schoolwork, I was also getting ready to compete in SkillsUSA. SkillsUSA is a non-profit organization that helps students prepare for leadership careers in skilled trades. I was chosen for my leadership skills to compete for my engineering class. Through many online meetings with my partner, we were still able to create an amazing presentation, and we won! The experience of winning was thrilling and truly made me realize I want to be a leader in the engineering world. My teachers and parents knew that leadership was the path for me. I went to a school that truly cared and made sure I didn’t miss any of my education. I had teachers who gave their extra time to ensure I caught up on my work and understood what I missed. I feel that going through all of this will help me to apply my passion of being a leader in civil engineering.