“There is no magic in magic, it’s all in the details.” - Walt Disney. Throughout my high school career, I always knew I would pursue a career in a mathematical or scientific field because these subjects came easily and more naturally to me than to my peers. Even knowing I loved mathematics and science, I felt adrift in what I was to do with my life, the choices were endless. However, it wasn’t until my junior year while on Christmas break, that the course of my life changed forever. Visiting Magic Kingdom felt the same, walking down Mainstreet U.S.A. felt the same, experiencing the rides and enjoying the parks felt the same, but this time there was something different. A newfound appreciation for something I had never taken the time to notice before. The Park was designed so perfectly as to bring a magical experience found nowhere else on Earth. The engineers were so detailed that everything precisely, properly, and perfectly fit into the theme. As I walked around all the parks, that new appreciation for the level of meticulous detail and effort that went into making the Parks, inspired me. “There is a moment when you’re just a fan, and there’s a moment when you’re a filmmaker.” - James Cameron. Ever since I was little, vacationing in Disney was extremely fun and comprised most of my memories as a child. Now, I wanted it to be my turn to bring happiness and joy to the next generation. I wanted to make the Magic. I came back to school with a newfound determination that was unextinguishable, a passion that was overflowing, and a thirst for knowledge that was unquenchable. I wanted to know everything about the Disney Imagineering program. Ironically, our engineering final was about designing a theme park of our own. To properly understand how to accomplish such a feat, our teacher used the Khan Academy course, Disney Imagineering in a Box, by Disney’s Imagineering team. That course taught me vital elements of the designing process that goes into making a major theme park. Completing this project helped me to narrow the field I wanted to major in and directed me in my search for universities. Currently, I am most fascinated with mechanical engineering because it is integral in designing and building all the components of the park. I want to bring new characters to life, create unforgettable experiences, and inspire the next generation of engineers to reach for the impossible. I have been accepted to Texas A&M University as an undergraduate engineering student where I am pursuing with absolute purpose and planning a career as a Disney Imagineer. My absolute love for Disney partnered with the fulfillment and thrill I felt learning how to bring to life my ideas for a theme park ignited a fire in my heart and lit a path that I want to travel on for the rest of my life. Learning from the Disney Imagineers not only educated me, but it also gave me individuals like Bob Gurr to look up to and aspire to be like. Bob Gurr was one of the original Imagineers on Walt Disney’s team that were the masterminds behind Disneyland. I would love to be an engineering pioneer like he was, pushing the boundaries of modern engineering past its limits and designing something that the world has never seen before. I want to leave my own footprint behind for all future dreamers to experience and know that magic is real.

"Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving," Warren Buffett. Of all the things that I have been taught about finances, the lesson that resonated the loudest with me was saving. Having the forethought and the restraint necessary to save money is important for many reasons. Possibly the most pressing of these reasons is that a savings account offers protection and security in the event of a financial emergency. No matter what form an emergency takes, there is great comfort and assurance found in the knowledge that you are financially prepared to handle it. Possessing savings also affords you the capability to make large purchases while avoiding the pitfall of going into debt. Having a significant sum in savings also grants you the freedom to pursue your dreams and ambitions. If you are not bound under the crushing weight of living paycheck to paycheck, you have the chance to explore your dream career because you can accept a lower-paying, entry-level position if necessary. Another reason for setting aside savings is for personal enjoyment. Having money already available to pay for fun eliminates any guilt associated with spending money for pleasure. Another benefit from choosing to save money is having the ability to help others as opportunities arise. Money is obviously needed to achieve your own goals, but having extra money saved also gives you the means to be a blessing to those around you. When you bless and give to others, joy explodes in your own life and you become blessed as well. "The habit of saving is itself an education. It fosters every virtue, teaches self-denial, cultivates the sense of order, trains to forethought, and so broadens the mind," T.T. Munger.

"All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney. My engineering instructor, Mr. Haller, first introduced me to the world of Disney's Imagineers. As we researched and studied the intricate process of building a completely immersive theme park, something flared to life in my heart and a passion began burning in my soul. I knew that I wanted to be part of the magic. I wanted to be an Imagineer. I continued to research and dig deeper into the world of Imagineering and discovering all the fields of engineering that are involved in bringing to life another world. I am most fascinated with mechanical engineering because it is integral in designing and building all the components of the park. I want to bring new characters to life, create unforgettable experiences, and inspire the next generation of engineers to reach for the impossible. My absolute love for Disney partnered with the fulfillment and thrill I felt learning how to bring to life my ideas for a theme park ignited a fire in my heart and lit a path that I want to travel on for the rest of my life. Learning from the Disney Imagineers not only educated me, but it also gave me individuals like Bob Gurr to look up to and aspire to be like. Bob Gurr was one of the original Imagineers on Walt Disney's team that were the masterminds behind Disneyland. I would love to be an engineering pioneer like he was, pushing the boundaries of modern engineering past its limits and designing something that the world has never seen before. I want to leave my footprint behind for all future dreamers to experience and know that magic is real.

“Anyone can look at a recipe and follow the directions. Very few people can look at ingredients and create a recipe.” - Mr. Haller. The characteristic that I prize the most within myself is imagination. Imagination ignites passion. We are living in a world that is crushed beneath the heavy weight of responsibility and practicality. Dreaming of what can be, lights the fire of my imagination and reminds me how to be passionate about something. Albert Einstein poignantly stated, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview for life’s coming attractions.” Imagination gives birth to creativity and innovation. Many of the most impressive and innovative inventions began by the simple process of imagining something bigger, better, or easier. Engineers have an incredible talent for thinking outside the box and giving their imagination free range, which helps them create what was previously considered impossible. Imagination is the key that unlocks the door to creativity, and this unleashes the ideas that become the inventions that allow for the advancement of our world. Imagination transforms the mundane into the magical. This is the power of Disney. It views the world through a child’s heart and eyes, bringing wonder, joy, and imagination to life. I am pursuing with absolute purpose and planning a career as a Disney Imagineer. This is the research and development team for the Walt Disney Company. They are in control of the creation, design, and construction of every aspect and detail of Disney theme parks and attractions worldwide. As I have researched and studied the intricate process of building a completely immersive theme park, something flared to life in my heart and a passion began burning in my soul. I knew that I wanted to be part of the magic. I want to bring new characters to life, create unforgettable experiences, and inspire the next generation of engineers to reach for the impossible. Imagination is the very core of engineering. An engineer identifies, assesses, and gathers all currently available technical information and utilizes it to break down problems into manageable pieces. They can then apply strategies and techniques that they have learned to create a workable solution. From the stable platform of what is already known, comes the freedom to imagine, create, explore, and test new and innovative ideas. Imagination can birth new ideas and fill in gaps in current knowledge. It can lead to the development of brand new products and improve the efficiency of technology already in use. It is this team of Disney Imagineers, a team of dreamers, designers, and innovators, that I wholeheartedly want to be a part of. I would love to be an engineering pioneer, pushing the boundaries of modern engineering past its limits and designing something that the world has never seen before. I want to leave my footprints behind for all future dreamers to experience and know that magic is real. “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” -Walt Disney.

The word "Texan" often evokes such striking visual images as a lone cowboy sitting astride his faithful steed, stetsons pulled low, worn cowboy boots, enormous and elaborate belt buckles, dusty pickup trucks, wide-open vistas, long-horned cattle grazing in every field, rodeos and line dancing, and saying things like "y'all" and "fixin'" in a distinct southern drawl. These things may all be true, however, in my heart and mind being a Texan is very personal and runs all the way to the very core of who I am. Being a Texan is found in those things that are intangible, it is a spirit that is woven into my very soul. Being a Texan encompasses having deep pride in myself and where I come from; it is having the courage and fortitude to stand up and stand alone for what I know is right; it is about being part of my community and lending a helping hand or sharing a wave or a smile to everyone I meet; it is about working hard, never giving up, never quitting until either the job is done or I have won; it is having an unapologetic and unwavering faith in Almighty God because I know He is the true source of wisdom and power; it is being devoted to liberty, freedom, and justice; and it is about dreaming big and reaching for the stars. Being a Texan means being home.

As a strong Christian, I formulated what joy means to me from what the Bible teaches about it. Joy originates in the presence of God (Psalm 16:11), which tells me that God is not only the author but also the giver of joy. Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Thus, if the Spirit dwells in me and fills my heart, then I will experience joy in my life. Joy is found in God's Word. The truth and revelation of God's word causes joy to burst forth from my soul (Psalm 119:162). If I grab hold of the kind of joy spoken about in God's holy Word, the result is strength (Nehemiah 8:10). This kind of strength is what keeps me going when life hits me hard and I am feeling overwhelmed. When all of my classes are pounding me with projects and slamming me with tests, I grasp onto the joy that is planted in my heart by reaching for my Bible. When God's joy flows out of me, then I can stand up under the pressures of life. God's kind of joy also offers the benefit of endurance. This helps me see the blessings in my trials. Not that the trial is a blessing, but rather the changes brought about inside of me because of the trial that are constantly shaping and molding me into a man of God. Joy comes bubbling up and flowing forth from inside of you as you do things for others and it is present in spite of your surroundings and circumstances. Joy comes from the inside out. It is a choice. "Joy is a decision, a really brave one, about how you are going to respond to life." - West Stafford.

"There is no magic in magic, it's all in the details." - Walt Disney. It was my engineering instructor, Mr. Haller, that first introduced me to the world of Disney's Imagineers. As we researched and studied the intricate process of building a completely immersive theme park, something flared to life in my heart and a passion began burning in my soul. I knew that I wanted to be part of the magic. I wanted to be an Imagineer. I continued to research and dig deeper into the world of Imagineering and discovering all the fields of engineering that are involved in bringing to life another world. I am most fascinated with mechanical engineering because it is integral in designing and building all the components of the park. I want to bring new characters to life, create unforgettable experiences, and inspire the next generation of engineers to reach for the impossible. My absolute love for Disney partnered with the fulfillment and thrill I felt learning how to bring to life my own ideas for a theme park ignited a fire in my heart and lit a path that I want to travel on for the rest of my life. Learning from the Disney Imagineers not only educated me, but it also gave me individuals like Bob Gurr to look up to and aspire to be like. Bob Gurr was one of the original Imagineers on Walt Disney's team that were the masterminds behind Disneyland. I would love to be an engineering pioneer like he was, pushing the boundaries of modern engineering past its limits and designing something that the world has never seen before. I want to leave my own footprint behind for all future dreamers to experience and know that magic is real.

"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." - Muhammad Ali. Friendship is a choice we make. It is a choice born out of curiosity, found in shared interests, and sometimes thrown to us in an hour of desperate need. Friendship is a commitment two individuals make to support each others dreams, to stand together in lifes misfortunes, and to create beautiful memories with. A friend truly knows our deepest selves, the good along with the bad, and they choose to love us anyway. A friend knows who we were in the past, they completely embrace and accept who we are in the present, and they gently encourage us to move toward who we need to become in our future. Friends celebrate life with us, sharing laughter and adding to our joy. Having a friend means not having to stand alone, no matter what it is you are facing. Friendship is also a life lesson, a learning experience. Not only are you at the receiving end of help, but you are also responsible for caring for your friend. You have to possess the selflessness needed to walk life's pathways with your friend, lifting them up when they stumble and wholeheartedly rejoicing in their successes. In my mind, friendship is one of the building blocks of a true leader. It is someone who can put others' needs first, it is someone who can put aside their own pride in order to honor and celebrate another individual, it is someone who knows when to be silent and when to give a subtle push. "Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together." - Woodrow T. Wilson.

"First, think. Second, believe. Third, dream. And finally, dare." - Walt Disney. I have always aspired to be at the top of my class academically. As an undergraduate engineering student at Texas A&M, I would continue my pursuit of academic excellence. I have always loved science and mathematics and as I have begun to delve into engineering courses in high school, I realize how these two areas can be melded together into a challenging and fulfilling career. My engineering instructor introduced me to the world of Disney's Imagineers. As we researched and studied the intricate process of building a completely immersive theme park, something flared to life in my heart and a passion began burning in my soul. I knew that I wanted to be part of the magic. I wanted to be an Imagineer. I continued to research into the world of Imagineering and discovering all the fields of engineering that are involved in bringing to life another world. Currently, I am most fascinated with mechanical engineering because it is integral in designing and building all the components of the park. I want to bring new characters to life, create unforgettable experiences, and inspire the next generation of engineers to reach for the impossible. There have been many inspirational influences in my quest to becoming an Imagineer. However, one has stood out above all the rest, Bob Gurr. Bob Gurr was one of the original Imagineers on Walt Disney's team that were the masterminds behind Disney Land. I would love to be an engineering pioneer like he was, pushing the boundaries of modern engineering past its limits and designing something that the wold has never seen before. I want to leave my own foot print behind for all future dreamers to experience and know that Magic is real.