I first heard of mechanical engineering in 5th grade when everyone in my class took a career aptitude test and got to read about the various careers we were matched with. I don't remember what my top match was exactly, but I know it was something engineering-related because from that point on, I became fascinated by it. As a kid, I was obsessed with legos. I loved getting the sets, putting them together, then getting bored and tearing the whole thing down to build something completely original. ​​In 4th-7th grade, I participated in Odyssey of the Mind, a competition where a team of seven would be given a long-term problem and a spontaneous problem. The solution to the long-term problem was expressed through a skit at a competition. In contrast, the spontaneous problems were things like building a tower out of 25 toothpicks, three marshmallows, and five paper clips in six minutes. I absolutely loved the spontaneous problems. Part of that was due to me being a rather shy child, and performing was not my forte, but mostly because I got to express my problem-solving skills. Throughout my high school career, I have found myself drawn to math and especially science classes. I love engineering because it takes these principles and uses them as tools for solving real-world problems to real-world solutions. I also appreciate the versatility that mechanical engineering provides. With a mechanical engineering degree, the sky's the limit. I could get a job building rockets or designing systems to purify methane from landfills so that it can be used as natural gas in people's homes. My ambition, paired with a fascination with STEM, makes me the perfect candidate to be an engineer. This passion prompted me to take as many science and math classes as possible. Unfortunately for me, my school only offers a total of six and a half science credits, so when I doubled up on science my freshman and sophomore year, I burned through more than half of the science classes available. After I graduate, I know my adventurous spirit will take me to many places. I hope to live in Seattle, WA, and use the skills and knowledge I acquired throughout my college career to tackle environmental issues and make a difference. Graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering would give me the opportunity to be a valuable member of my community and make a real impact on the world around me. My unique skill set and hard-working nature will benefit me greatly on the journey to meet my goals. I know that I will encounter many obstacles along the way, especially being a woman in a heavily male-dominated field and not having the cushion of an absurdly wealthy family. However, none of these factors discourage me. I am ready to take on any challenge that comes my way.

The phrase "High school will be the best time of your life!" has been repeated to me about a million times. As a bright-eyed, naive fourteen-year-old, I entered high school believing that it would be a series of unforgettable events fueled by newfound freedom. As a senior, I am starting to think that Hope Wilson- a proud 8th-grade graduate- did not have a clue. Having the insight I do now, I might describe my high school experience as more of a series of natural disasters that I survived (somehow). Not even a month into my freshman year, my parents decided to divorce; it hit me like the waves of a tsunami. Waves composed of constant conflict and change came crashing down on my shores of ignorant bliss. The connection to my friends had been disrupted by the heavy rain of high school drama, leaving me feeling isolated on the newly devastated island of my mind. Once the dust had settled, I was left with a jumble of new, confusing emotions and teen angst. Feeling overcome, I took solace in academics. Desperate for validation, I poured all of my time and effort into my school work, hoping someone would notice my stellar academic performance. I was hoping taking two science classes my freshman year plus taking two science classes and two math classes my sophomore year while maintaining a 4.0 GPA would catch the attention of one of my teachers. I dreamed they would revere me because I worked for it, unlike the "gifted" kids who had been ahead since middle school. This fantasy didn't play out quite the way I had hoped. I took the classes and got the grades, but I guess I was too quiet because no one noticed. I knew that burying myself in homework and papers would not work as a permanent solution; I was hoping it would at least build the bridge to college, and it might have held up if the next wave hadn't hit: COVID 19. COVID snatched the school life preserver I had created. Everything I was trying to hold together with grades was put to the test. Let's say it failed miserably. Quarantine exposed all of the structural flaws in my support systems. This instability allowed me to fall into habits that were far from healthy. In addition to other severe but not newsworthy events, the previous events left my mental health in tatters. I felt alone. My family was constantly around me, but I felt disconnected from them. We were all trapped at home, so they had all been around me, watching me fall apart, and did nothing to help. It wasn't until I was self-harming in the bathroom at my work with a box cutter and took a moment to think about what I was doing that I realized - I was maybe not doin' too hot. For some reason, that is what sent the alarm bells off for me, and I realized my situation was dire. If I wanted to survive this, I was going to have to get help myself. Well, either that or start drafting a nice note. In this case, helping myself was figuring out I needed to see a therapist, figuring out how to get one, telling my parents this needed to happen. They'd been there the whole time, watching my mental state slowly deteriorate, so it didn't take a whole lot of convincing. It wasn't easy, but you know what, I got through it. I know this won't be the last "natural disaster that hits," but I know I'll get through it.

The phrase "High school will be the best time of your life!" has been repeated to me about a million times. As a bright-eyed, naive fourteen-year-old, I entered high school believing that it would be a series of unforgettable events fueled by newfound freedom. As a senior, I am starting to think that Hope Wilson- a proud 8th-grade graduate- did not have a clue. Having the insight I do now, I might describe my high school experience as more of a series of natural disasters that I survived (somehow). Not even a month into my freshman year, my parents decided to divorce; it hit me like the waves of a tsunami. Waves composed of constant conflict and change came crashing down on my shores of ignorant bliss. The connection to my friends had been disrupted by the heavy rain of high school drama, leaving me feeling isolated on the newly devastated island of my mind. Once the dust had settled, I was left with a jumble of new, confusing emotions and teen angst. Feeling overcome, I took solace in academics. Desperate for validation, I poured all of my time and effort into my school work, hoping someone would notice my stellar academic performance. I was hoping taking two science classes my freshman year plus taking two science classes and two math classes my sophomore year while maintaining a 4.0 GPA would catch the attention of one of my teachers. I dreamed they would revere me because I worked for it, unlike the "gifted" kids who had been ahead since middle school. This fantasy didn't play out quite the way I had hoped. I took the classes and got the grades, but I guess I was too quiet because no one noticed. I knew that burying myself in homework and papers would not work as a permanent solution; I was hoping it would at least build the bridge to college, and it might have held up if the next wave hadn't hit: COVID 19. COVID snatched the school life preserver I had created. Everything I was trying to hold together with grades was put to the test. Let's say it failed miserably. Quarantine exposed all of the structural flaws in my support systems. This instability allowed me to fall into habits that were far from healthy. In addition to other severe but not newsworthy events, the previous events left my mental health in tatters. I felt alone. My family was constantly around me, but I felt disconnected from them. We were all trapped at home, so they had all been around me, watching me fall apart, and did nothing to help. It wasn't until I was self-harming in the bathroom at my work with a box cutter and took a moment to think about what I was doing that I realized - I was maybe not doin' too hot. For some reason, that is what sent the alarm bells off for me, and I realized my situation was dire. If I wanted to survive this, I was going to have to get help myself. Well, either that or start drafting a nice note. In this case, helping myself was figuring out I needed to see a therapist, figuring out how to get one, telling my parents this needed to happen. They'd been there the whole time, watching my mental state slowly deteriorate, so it didn't take a whole lot of convincing. It wasn't easy, but you know what, I got through it. I know this won't be the last "natural disaster that hits," but I know I'll get through it.

I first heard of mechanical engineering in 5th grade when everyone in my class took a career aptitude test and got to read about the various careers we were matched with. I don't remember what my top match was exactly, but I know it was something engineering-related because from that point on, I became fascinated by it. As a kid, I was obsessed with legos. I loved getting the sets, putting them together, then getting bored and tearing the whole thing down to build something completely original. ​​In 4th-7th grade, I participated in Odyssey of the Mind, a competition where a team of seven would be given a long-term problem and a spontaneous problem. The solution to the long-term problem was expressed through a skit at a competition. In contrast, the spontaneous problems were things like building a tower out of 25 toothpicks, three marshmallows, and five paper clips in six minutes. I absolutely loved the spontaneous problems. Part of that was due to me being a rather shy child, and performing was not my forte, but mostly because I got to express my problem-solving skills. Throughout my high school career, I have found myself drawn to math and especially science classes. I love engineering because it takes these principles and uses them as tools for solving real-world problems to real-world solutions. I also appreciate the versatility that mechanical engineering provides. With a mechanical engineering degree, the sky's the limit. I could get a job building rockets or designing systems to purify methane from landfills so that it can be used as natural gas in people's homes. My ambition, paired with a fascination with STEM, makes me the perfect candidate to be an engineer. This passion prompted me to take as many science and math classes as possible. Unfortunately for me, my school only offers a total of six and a half science credits, so when I doubled up on science my freshman and sophomore year, I burned through more than half of the science classes available. After I graduate, I know my adventurous spirit will take me to many places. I hope to live in Seattle, WA, and use the skills and knowledge I acquired throughout my college career to tackle environmental issues and make a difference. Graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering would give me the opportunity to be a valuable member of my community and make a real impact on the world around me. My unique skill set and hard-working nature will benefit me greatly on the journey to meet my goals. I know that I will encounter many obstacles along the way, especially being a woman in a heavily male-dominated field and not having the cushion of an absurdly wealthy family. However, none of these factors discourage me. I am ready to take on any challenge that comes my way.

I first heard of mechanical engineering in 5th grade when everyone in my class took a career aptitude test and got to read about the various careers we were matched with. I don't remember what my top match was exactly, but I know it was something engineering-related because from that point on, I became fascinated by it. As a kid, I was obsessed with legos. I loved getting the sets, putting them together, then getting bored and tearing the whole thing down to build something completely original. ​​In 4th-7th grade, I participated in Odyssey of the Mind, a competition where a team of seven would be given a long-term problem and a spontaneous problem. The solution to the long-term problem was expressed through a skit at a competition. In contrast, the spontaneous problems were things like building a tower out of 25 toothpicks, three marshmallows, and five paper clips in six minutes. I absolutely loved the spontaneous problems. Part of that was due to me being a rather shy child, and performing was not my forte, but mostly because I got to express my problem-solving skills. Throughout my high school career, I have found myself drawn to math and especially science classes. I love engineering because it takes these principles and uses them as tools for solving real-world problems to real-world solutions. I also appreciate the versatility that mechanical engineering provides. With a mechanical engineering degree, the sky's the limit. I could get a job building rockets or designing systems to purify methane from landfills so that it can be used as natural gas in people's homes. My ambition, paired with a fascination with STEM, makes me the perfect candidate to be an engineer. This passion prompted me to take as many science and math classes as possible. Unfortunately for me, my school only offers a total of six and a half science credits, so when I doubled up on science my freshman and sophomore year, I burned through more than half of the science classes available. After I graduate, I know my adventurous spirit will take me to many places. I hope to live in Seattle, WA, and use the skills and knowledge I acquired throughout my college career to tackle environmental issues and make a difference. Graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering would give me the opportunity to be a valuable member of my community and make a real impact on the world around me. My unique skill set and hard-working nature will benefit me greatly on the journey to meet my goals. I know that I will encounter many obstacles along the way, especially being a woman in a heavily male-dominated field and not having the cushion of an absurdly wealthy family. However, none of these factors discourage me. I am ready to take on any challenge that comes my way.