When I walked into AP Physics 1 on the first day of junior year, the familiar feeling of being “the only one” settled in. Once again, I was one of just two Black students, and the only Black male, in the room. That moment crystallized why engineering isn’t just a career choice for me, it’s a mission. I want to build bridges, literal and figurative, so that the next generation of students who look like me sees possibility, not isolation, in advanced STEM spaces. I’ve always gravitated toward problems that demand both creativity and rigor. Whether it’s solving for a difficult integral in Calculus BC or toying with a circuit in AP Physics C, I relish the rhythm of engineering: imagine, test, refine, repeat. At Walnut Hills High School, ranked in Ohio’s top five percent, I sought out every challenging STEM course available, earning college credit in Foundations of Engineering Design Thinking I & II. Those classes gave me my first taste of university-level teamwork. Working with my team through challenging projects showed me that the best solutions emerge when diverse perspectives collide and collaborate. Being underrepresented has sharpened my ability to thrive in diverse teams and deepened my commitment to representation. Many of my peers growing up were steered toward sports or music, rarely encouraged to explore aerospace dynamics or structural analysis. My parents insisted that education is “the passport to the future,” a sentiment Malcolm X captures perfectly. Their conviction propelled me toward opportunities that would expand my horizons and, in turn, those of others coming after me. One such opportunity was the University of Dayton’s 2024 Summer Engineering Program. Over three days, I rotated through hands-on labs in civil, chemical, and technical engineering. In each session, I connected theory to results: optimizing truss designs, analyzing reaction yields, coding microcontroller inputs. I left without a favorite discipline but with absolute clarity that engineering’s breadth is what excites me. Aerospace engineering, where math, physics, and innovation intersect at 30,000 feet, is where I belong. Mentorship has been a compass on this journey. At scholarship events, I heard GE executive Tony Mathis describe “failing forward” and engineer Johannes Ebba explain how to navigate both vertically and laterally inside a company. Construction leaders Anthony Chambliss and Stan Williams modeled servant-leadership on job sites, while church mentors reminded me to keep purpose at the center of every pursuit. Their guidance fuels my determination to give back. During senior year, I visited five local elementary schools to share my story so, younger students, especially underrepresented ones, could picture themselves in a lab coat as easily as in a jersey. Next fall I will enter the University of Cincinnati’s acclaimed co-op program, alternating aerospace coursework with full-time industry rotations. The model fits my learning philosophy: theory refined by practice, classroom concepts grounded in real-world relevance. My experience in Design Thinking I & II felt like a miniature co-op, where I dealt with tight deadlines, unfamiliar problems, and a team depending on me to deliver. I’m eager to scale that experience with projects that push me to code more efficiently, model airflow more precisely, and design safer, more sustainable aircraft. Engineering is more than my passion, it’s my platform. Through it, I will innovate for the communities I love, mentor those who follow, and embody the representation that once felt so scarce. I’m preparing today, passport in hand, to help shape a tomorrow where every student, regardless of race, can walk into a calculus classroom or wind-tunnel lab and know they belong.