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Jaqueline Aguirre

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Finalist

Bio

I plan to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering because I want to use STEM to improve people’s quality of life. Growing up, my parents’ health challenges showed me how physically demanding everyday tasks can be and how much thoughtful innovation in healthcare can matter. These experiences shaped my interest in engineering and motivated me to challenge myself academically. I hope to use my education to develop practical solutions that support individuals and strengthen communities.

Education

Caldwell Senior High School

High School
2022 - 2026
  • GPA:
    4

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Majors of interest:

    • Engineering, General
    • Fine and Studio Arts
    • Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
    • Mechanical Engineering
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Biotechnology

    • Dream career goals:

      Start in the medical field as a nurse and keep studying to become a biomedical engineer

    • Cashier and assistant

      La Cocina De Isabel LLC
      2023 – Present3 years

    Sports

    Weightlifting

    2024 – Present2 years

    Arts

    • Washington Elementary School

      Design
      2019 – 2019

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Scholastic Book Fair — Cashier
      2018 – 2019

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Entrepreneurship

    Daniel R. Torres "Complete Your Dream” Memorial Scholarship
    Dreams aren't just ideas we hope for, but goals that require dedication, planning, and perseverance. My dream is to become a biomedical engineer and help improve the technology used in healthcare. By combining engineering, science, and medicine, I hope to contribute to innovations that can improve people's lives and make medical care more effective and accessible. A big reason I push myself to achieve my goals is my mom. Growing up, I watched how hard she worked to support our family and make sure I had opportunities she never had, but I also saw the consequences of pushing oneself too far. She lacks cartilage in one knee, making it hard to bend her knee and walk for a long time, but this hasn't stopped her. She continues to work despite the pain she feels, and she's my greatest inspiration because of that. She has always made sure to remind me how important education is if I want to succeed in life, but now I see how it's essential if I want to make a difference. Even when things were stressful or difficult, she never gave up on me. Seeing her dedication and perseverance through her physical pain motivates me to work hard and build a future that makes her proud. I have always been interested in science and understanding how things work, but I decided that I wanted to be an engineer. After helping my mom out when she needed me, lifting heavy things for her, and finding out about her cartilage, I decided that I wanted to be a biomedical engineer. Biomedical engineering allows people to design and improve medical devices like prosthetics, imaging machines, and other technologies that doctors use to diagnose and treat patients. To accomplish my dream, I understand that there are several important steps I need to take. The first step is continuing to work hard in high school and continuing to build a strong foundation in math and science. Taking courses such as biology, chemistry, and other advanced STEM-related courses has helped me improve my analytical thinking and develop the critical thinking skills necessary for engineers. These courses can be pretty challenging, but it's because of these classes and my mom that taught me perseverance. After high school, I plan to attend college and pursue a degree that will prepare me for a career in biomedical engineering. My plan is to major in mechanical engineering while minoring in biology. Mechanical engineering will teach me how to design, build, and analyze complex systems, while biology will help me understand the human body and how medical technology interacts with it. Together, these areas of study will give me the knowledge and skills needed to work on medical technologies that improve patient care. During college, I also plan to seek internships, research opportunities, and hands-on engineering projects related to healthcare technology. These experiences are very important because it allows students to apply what they have learned in a classroom to actual problems. Working alongside professionals in the field will help me understand how medical technology is designed, tested, and improved before it reaches hospitals and patients. Another important part of reaching my dream is continuing to build leadership and teamwork skills. Engineering and healthcare both require collaboration. Designing a new medical device often involves teams of engineers, scientists, doctors, and researchers working together to solve complex problems. My involvement in activities such as the LEO Club at Caldwell High School has helped me develop communication, teamwork, and leadership abilities. Through service projects and collaboration with other students, I have learned how important it is to work together to make a positive impact in the community. Achieving my dream will benefit me because it will allow me to pursue a career that I am truly passionate about. I want to do work that challenges me and allows me to use my knowledge to help others. Most importantly, reaching my goals would allow me to give back to the people who have supported me the most. My mom has sacrificed so much to help me succeed, despite her condition, and I want my future to reflect the hard work and encouragement she has given me throughout my life. Pursuing higher education and building a meaningful career is one way I hope to show my appreciation for everything she has done for me. To me, Daniel's words remind me that dreams are not completed all at once, but through effort, determination, and belief in yourself. With the support of my family, my education, and my commitment to helping others, I hope to create technology that improves lives while also honoring the sacrifices and encouragement that helped me get there.
    Ja-Tek Scholarship Award
    My parents have always worked hard since they were little, especially my dad, who has been working since he was five years old (that’s what he says). When you grow up, you start to notice things, even things from years back that now make sense. As I got older, I began to see the effects of working for so long. My mom, in particular, struggles with her knee. She has almost no cartilage in one of them, which makes walking painful and difficult. Both my parents’ eyesight is getting worse, especially my dad’s. My want to help my parents made me realize that I wanted to help them out somehow in the future. That’s when I decided I wanted a career in healthcare. I always had a set mindset about becoming an engineer, but ever since I started helping my parents more—lifting heavy things, supporting them when they couldn’t move easily, and seeing how limited mobility affects a person emotionally as much as physically, I knew that I wanted to be able to not only help them, but help those who have suffered similarly. But being an engineer was the path I decided since middle school that I would take no matter what. With that being said, I did some research and discovered biomedical engineering, a field where science, technology, and the want to help others come together. Biomedical engineers design prosthetics, artificial organs, medical devices, and technology that benefit the lives of many. I want to be able to give back to my family, one way or another. I want my mom to be able to walk with no difficulty and I want my dad to be able to see better again. I don’t want someone else to have to see their parents slowly get weaker and weaker, because that’s the same as seeing your favorite superhero getting beaten up more and more every single day. Since the school I plan on going to doesn't offer a biomedical engineering program, I plan to study mechnaicle engineering and possibly minor in biology in college, join STEM-related clubs, and get involved in research opportunities focused on prosthetics. These steps will help me gain the experience, skills, and knowledge to someday help my family and many others. My motivation comes from my want to help my parents and help many others who have to see their parents get weaker each day. As I said earlier, it’s like seeing your favorite superhero getting beaten up more and more every single day, and that’s why I want to be a biomedical engineer.
    Netflix and Scholarships!
    I have never watched so much TV in my entire life once I got Netflix. Not only could I watch movies and shows I have always wanted to watch...there were also zero ads! I watched "Secret Life of Pets 2", I watched "Miraculous Ladybug", I even watched "Whisker Away". Anime, comedy, action, sci-fi, you name it, Netflix has it all. One show that I stayed early in the morning till very late at night was "Voltron". "Voltron has it all! Not only is it sci-fi but it has romance, it has action, it has comedy. Voltron is one of the many reasons why I got interested in engineering. Voltron is worth wasting your weekend watching because of the huge character development shown through the show as well as a perfect plot. To start, Voltron lacks flat characters and some of them are even charming and entertaining to watch. flat characters are characters that never change during the plot of the show, movie, story, etc. One flat character that rarely changes and that is fun to watch is Coran, an Altean Advisor to Princess Allura. Coran is clumsy, old old-fashioned, he's wise in history but lacks to understanding that the universe has changed in the past 100,000 years or so. Another character that doesn't disappoint is Lance, a paladin of the blue lion. Lance is flirty, he's cocky, he loves his looks and wants everyone to know that he's the best. However, above all he wants to be acknowledged, he wants people to see that he is capable and hardworking just like the rest of the paladins. Lance goes from being a typical playboy to wanting to be with someone in a real relationship as well as help his peers and lack jealousy from others. Last but not least, Voltron has a very good structured plot as well as an incredible plot twist! Because the plot is so well worked out, we get to know the characters from the best to the worst situation possible. All of the paladins are introduced in the beginning and it's clear to us that they don't seem to like one another, at the end we see them as a family, looking out for each other. One of my favourite plot twists of the show is that the mage who helps the bad guy is actually Altean! The paladins and Princess Allura were certain that there were no more alteans left in the universe, and one of the alteans wants to end them at all costs! What is even more surprising is that the Mage is the wife of the bad guy!!! Who gave up everything for her and in the end she gave everything for him!!! What a plot twist!!! In the end, Voltron may not be for everyone, but Voltron is worthy of binge-watching. My little sister hated how much I watched it, but as time progressed...she started watching it without me!!! What a traitor!!! I missed an entire episode and got lost for the rest of the show! (I watched the missing episode and everything was back to normal). Again, Voltron may not be for everyone, but it will never lack boring characters and will show character development as well as have you hooked on the mind-blowing plot twist.
    STEM & Medicine Passion Essay
    Energy is in everything and is everywhere. It has been here since the start of the universe. We humans rely on energy, for it's what drives our daily lives. Knowledge works that way too. There is knowledge to everything, there is knowledge in us. Knowledge is found by the ones who seek it. Knowledge has been here since the start of the universe, we humans just needed to find it. I am one of those humans who seek it. Knowledge is something everyone wants but never seems to know how to find. I consider myself one of those who are trying to seek it, and little by little, knowledge shows up in its fractions of facts, theories, scientific conclusions, solutions to math problems, and the right spices to a great meal. Knowledge comes in so many forms, and I want to find all the ones there can be. I come from a Mexican household. My parents work on whatever they can to get the money we need. They work their butt off so much so that me and my sister can have the life they didn't, I can't thank them enough for what they have done for us. My mom and dad work on whatever they can, from making pan dulce to fixing cars and clothes. Me and my sister help out sometimes, but sometimes I wonder if we'll ever be just like them. As time flew, it came to a point where I thought I was gonna be just like my parents. Working day and night on anything they could to survive. In middle school, a teacher asked what career we wanted. I was an artistic person and wanted something that had to do with it. But I also wanted something that could make me some real money. Graphic Designer it is, I thought. That's when the gears started turning, I paid attention to my science classes more, and I asked more questions. I wanted to know everything. Engineering was the career I wanted, but what about art? Art will always be with me, but for now, Science or engineering? Just not so long ago I decided what I wanted to be. I want to be a bioengineer. Science and engineering in one, sounds like fun to me. Whenever someone in my robotics class is struggling with a program, I go and help them, I don't give them the answer, but I give them hints for them to find the knowledge they seek. As for what I have done for my community, I have done nothing. Just because I haven't done anything doesn't mean I'll never do anything for it. There are a lot of problems that need solutions in my community. Get better-looking roofs that weigh less, and the need for the plague to stop spreading on our crops. The more knowledge I get, the more solutions I can get for my community. I'm unhappy with it, so why not find solutions to the problems presents? But for me to gain the knowledge I need, I need to go to college. Not only would this scholarship be my head start, but it would be doing my parents a big favor. We don't have a lot of money. As many people will say in this application. "I'm broke. I need the money to pursue my career," I will say the same thing. I'm broke, my family is broke, and with this money, I could start well. It would be my starting point. Thank you for taking the time to read this, I wish you, the reader, a great day.