Future. Grades. College. These were words I did not fully understand until my senior year of high school. As a first-generation student, they felt like buzz words, until I realized it was my turn. I had to navigate the process alone: covering tuition, paying for housing costs in a busy city, figuring out financial aid without a roadmap. My parents would say they wished they could help me more, that they were not educated enough to guide me through it. But I thought that sentiment was wrong. They had helped me my entire life. They moved our family of seven from apartment to apartment until we finally found our forever home. They provided shelter, love, and access to the very opportunity I was standing in front of. It hit me, I was receiving a chance they had to give up from a young age, an opportunity they crossed the world for because it simply did not exist back home. I came to understand that my first steps into higher education were also my parents' first steps. At the start, I struggled knowing where to even begin, whether it was joining clubs in high school or navigating the admissions process and financial aid. The entire situation felt overwhelming, like everyone else had been handed a guide I never received. But in the middle of that uncertainty, I made a choice: I let go of the fear. I allowed myself to ask questions without embarrassment, use every resource available to me, and try different fields until I found what truly moved me. I joined programs like Upward Bound that helped prepare me for college, took the initiative to reach out and tour schools on my own, and used every online resource I could find. I pushed myself outside of my comfort zone because I understood one thing: fear only stops you from accomplishing. If something has never been done before in your family, there is only one direction to go, and that is up. That mindset led me to civil engineering. Going from a small town to a major city, I saw firsthand how the lack of infrastructure quietly holds communities back. Potholes hindering daily movement, long commutes just to access basic resources, and a quiet shame about the place we called home. I want to use my expertise to design accessible homes and build infrastructure that supports communities for generations to come, spaces that are functional, efficient, and built with people like my family in mind. I want to create what my town lacked and what my parents deserved when they sacrificed everything to give our family a better foundation. Being first comes with a responsibility to pay it forward. I am not just building a career. I am building on everything my parents gave up so that I could have the chance to build something greater. Every bridge, every road, every home I help create will carry the weight of that story, and I would not have it any other way.

As a child, I spent hours stacking wooden ABC blocks and clicking Legos into place, imagining towers, bridges, and cities that defied gravity and expectations. These toys were not just games; they were the earliest clues that I was meant to build things that truly mattered. Over time, I realized I did not want to leave that curiosity behind with my childhood. I wanted to channel it into my future: civil engineering. Growing up in Venus, Texas, a small and often overlooked town, I have witnessed firsthand how poor infrastructure can stall opportunity and limit growth. People complain about long waits on narrow, pothole-ridden roads, limited public services, and outdated facilities; those issues divided our town and held us back. However, to me, these everyday frustrations are blueprints waiting to be redrawn and improved. These lived experiences, in a place where access and advancement aren’t guaranteed, shaped both my interest in engineering and my desire to create real, lasting change. As someone from a low-income, first-generation background, I have often had to seek out my own opportunities in places where few existed. In high school, I joined the Technology Student Association (TSA) and worked closely with a Huckabee architect on architectural and structural design challenges. I learned to use CAD software like Revit to develop professional construction drawings and operated advanced tools like the Glowforge laser cutter and CNC VCarve system to create scale models. I designed and built a load-bearing tower from balsa wood, carefully calculating stress points and material distribution under pressure. I took the initiative to teach myself the software and worked hard to compete nationally. My effort paid off when our team placed in the top 24 at the TSA national conference. These accomplishments mean more to me because they were hard-won. I have had to balance rigorous academics, leadership roles, and community service, all while navigating systemic barriers that often make higher education feel out of reach. Instead of discouraging me, these challenges have only strengthened my determination. At the University of Texas at Austin, I plan to study civil engineering and take full advantage of programs like GEAR, engineering labs, internships, and research opportunities. I hope to specialize in structural systems, bridges, towers, and design innovative solutions that are long-lasting, accessible, safe, and environmentally responsible. I am the same kid who once built cities out of plastic bricks, but now I am learning to build them from concrete and steel. My goal is to be a civil engineer who gives underdeveloped towns a solid foundation to thrive and grow.