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JoAnna Hefton

2,165

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

My life goal is to become a Robotics Engineer who creates and designs animatronics at Walt Disney World Studios. I want the children of tomorrow to feel the magic when I make the next big ride at Walt Disney World like going on Splash Mountain or the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train! My passion is designing attractions, assembling pieces, and seeing the results of happy Disney-fan customers. I've been putting STEM kits together since I was 8 and attended summer camps to build such things as underwater robots. I regard myself as a leader because I am the drum major for our band, the student council president, an officer for NHS, an attendee of Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, and a Girl Scout. Not only have I seen the wonders of Engineering in the United States but I have also been an Exchange Student for two years visiting Spain, Germany, London, and Paris for a month.

Education

Oklahoma State University-Main Campus

Bachelor's degree program
2024 - 2028
  • Majors:
    • Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering

Will Rogers College Hs

High School
2020 - 2024

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Bachelor's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Mechanical or Industrial Engineering

    • Dream career goals:

    • Worker

      Thompson Construction Inc.
      2023 – Present1 year

    Arts

    • Pride of Will Rogers Marching Band

      Music
      OSSAA, Tulsa Parades, TMALA
      2020 – Present
    • Miss Shelly's School of Dance

      Dance
      Annual Recitals
      2014 – Present

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      Will Rogers High School — Co-Advisor
      2023 – 2023
    • Volunteering

      Will Rogers High School — Candy deliver
      2022 – 2023
    • Volunteering

      Oklahoma Animal Humane Society — volunteer
      2022 – 2024
    • Volunteering

      Crossroads Church — A scarecrow/candy deliver
      2021 – 2021
    • Volunteering

      Magic City Books — Usher
      2022 – 2022
    • Volunteering

      Will Rogers High School — DJ
      2022 – Present
    • Volunteering

      Eastern Oklahoma Food Bank — pack and deliver
      2021 – 2021

    Future Interests

    Volunteering

    Elevate Women in Technology Scholarship
    One technology that has inspired me to choose my degree at Oklahoma State University is animatronics. Animatronics are like a mechatronic type puppet that is controlled by a computer program that is moved smoothly and clearly, that is almost human like. A great example that inspired me is the Ursula animatronic in the Little Mermaid ride in Disney Land. The moment I saw how she performed in the ride with how well she moved human-like and I felt like she came right out of the movie. From that day on, I have made it to my passion to understand Disney itself and what I need to do during my time in college to become an Imagineer and bring magic to the people just like how Walt Disney did with his engineers when he was opening the parks. With the technology being introduced into the engineering fields in college, I know that STEM girls like me want to add to the women population in the STEM field because technology is a male-dominated field and is not popular in the women's field. I feel that when I graduate, I hope to inspire incoming freshman women in the technology world influence them to keep going, and remind them how the women in WWII did not give up on having women's rights in the U.S. Overall, influencing technology into women will make the women's world a bigger and better place for us by proving that we women too can be smart and build robots.
    1989 (Taylor's Version) Fan Scholarship
    Winner
    From the 1989 (Taylor's Version) album, I would have to say that "Shake It Off" is a song for my year so far. As an incoming college freshman for the 2024 fall semester at Oklahoma State University, a new setting that I am still trying to adapt myself to has had an impact on my life (not in a good way). I've been told that freshman year is the hardest because you will be experiencing independence, managing responsibility, and social pressure when making friends in a school of 25,000 students, and financial issues. All of these experiences so far have worsened my anxiety and made me have doubts about whether or not I should continue this journey. But as the great Taylor Swift has said in her song, I just need to SHAKE IT OFF! Taylor Swift's music has been such an influence on me, I have been there since her country music era listening to "Our Song" on repeat with my mother since the age of 5. When Taylor first started playing at small events, I assumed that she had doubts about whether she was going to make it into the big music world. What I admire about Taylor is that she did not give up on her dream, she got stopped in her tracks along the way but she got back up and made it to where she is today. I dream of having Taylor's ambitions to get me through my next 4 years in college. I want to keep myself going without having doubts about giving up and looking at other options, I want to believe in myself that I can do this just like Taylor does in her music career. Another song that I would add to my soundtrack for the year is "Welcome to New York". The song is about moving to a new place and how it can impact your life. I would rename this song as "Welcome to OK State" for my soundtrack. As I stated in my previous paragraph stating how I am an incoming college freshman, I am experiencing a new setting/atmosphere as things start to change all around me like being more independent and learning to have fun/being active in my community. During my next four years here at my college, I hope to expand myself personally and physically in my new setting by trying new things and to help me start my dream career by working as an Imagineer at Walt Disney World Studios.
    Social Anxiety Step Forward Scholarship
    I have had anxiety since I was in my sophomore year in high school. I developed it from returning to in-person school and I was also placed in a new setting of students for my high school years. Before then, I was in a class of 30 students for my graduating class, then once I moved to my new school there were over 1,000. It was a whole new experience for me. Since then being in a new setting with academics, hobbies, and growth, I have built this anxiety inside of me where it has affected my testing skills, my social anxiety when trying to put myself out there and make new friends, and also doubting myself when I need the push to put myself together and know that I am going to be okay. When I first noticed that I had anxiety in my life my parents did not believe me and claimed that it was inside my head and I was just trying to fit in with people by applying this mental illness to my life. I say that anxiety goes through all of us at one point in our lives, since then my parents have now accepted my anxiety and have been a support system for when I need a hand to reach out for when I am at my lowest. Beginning my journey at Oklahoma State University by becoming a Mechatronics and Robotics engineer, I want to show that I can pursue my dream by putting my mind to it. I am grateful to receive all of the mental health support that my college has to provide for me as an incoming freshman. I have joined organizations on campus to help me be part of my community by planning events, and to meet people like me to where this will help me practice my social anxiety. My dream is to be an Imagineer at Walt Disney World Studios. I can not achieve that dream by sitting in my darkness and not taking action, I need to start my journey by making this come true. I have grown up with Disney movies, they have been my comfort for when I need a break from life to where I want to jump into a new setting where I feel I have nothing to worry about in life. You could say that Disney movies were my therapist. I grew up with Disney in my childhood, I feel that I have a deep connection with Disney I want to work for this corporation and help make people like me have a place to come to when we need a break from the world and be with people like us. So in conclusion, I am still fighting this mental issue but I know that I will get through this.
    Student Life Photography Scholarship