Not only can we access the world at our fingertips, but cybersecurity has the power to change the world that we live in. I want to be a part of that change. I got interested in STEM as a child when I participated in local programs in my town such as Girls Coding With Girls, a student-run program that teaches young girls about computer science, and I've been interested ever since. Now, years later as a senior in high school I am a lead mentor in the same program that inspired me to choose engineering as my future career path. Even out of high school, I want to help inspire young girls like me to give STEM a chance. Tech careers and companies are not always the most welcome to women of color like me. When you are the only woman in a class of twenty or thirty you feel like you aren't smart enough to be there. Seeing more people that look like me, pursuing the same things as me, shows the need to keep fighting. To prove that you are worthy of the spot you're in. Cybersecurity is an important field that helps protect individuals, businesses, and society from a wide range of cyber threats. It's a major part of ensuring the security of critical infrastructure against attacks, such as power grids, transportation systems, and water treatment plants. These are often targeted by cybercriminals, and a successful attack could have serious consequences, including loss of life, economic disruption, and damage to a country's reputation and credibility. Cybersecurity is an important field that helps protect individuals, businesses, and society from cyber threats. By studying cybersecurity, individuals can contribute to the overall security of their communities and society. The role of cybersecurity analysts is to solve impossible problems to the best of their abilities by building a bridge between the security of real-world items and technology. All good STEM majors know to question what they believe and to push the limits in their studies and theories until they’re groundbreaking. So when you ask about the positive impact I hope to have, know that I want to help protect our world as we know it. It’s impossible to not see how technology has made its mark on our world today, and it is my job to make sure the power of technology is not abused when in the wrong hands. I want to make a real and tangible difference in the world through the skills I plan to learn through college and internships once I graduate high school.

Not only can we access the world at our fingertips, but cybersecurity has the power to change the world that we live in. I want to be a part of that change. I got interested in STEM as a child when I participated in local programs in my town such as Girls Coding With Girls, a student-run program that teaches young girls about computer science, and I've been interested ever since. Now, years later as a senior in high school I am a lead mentor in the same program that inspired me to choose engineering as my future career path. Even out of high school, I want to help inspire young girls like me to give STEM a chance. Tech careers and companies are not always the most welcome to women of color like me. When you are the only woman in a class of twenty or thirty you feel like you aren't smart enough to be there. Seeing more people that look like me, pursuing the same things as me, shows the need to keep fighting. To prove that you are worthy of the spot you're in. Cybersecurity is an important field that helps protect individuals, businesses, and society from a wide range of cyber threats. It's a major part of ensuring the security of critical infrastructure against attacks, such as power grids, transportation systems, and water treatment plants. Critical infrastructure refers to systems and assets that are essential to the functioning of a society and economy. These are often targeted by cybercriminals, and a successful attack could have serious consequences, including loss of life, economic disruption, and damage to a country's reputation and credibility. An example of this that got me interested in cybersecurity was the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack of May 2021. The ransomware attack disrupted the operation of the Colonial Pipeline, causing it to shut down. The pipeline transports about 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast of the United States, so the shutdown had significant impacts on fuel availability and prices. This led to a noticeable increase in fuel prices for everyday citizens as the hackers waited for the ransom to be paid. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack highlighted the potential consequences of ransomware attacks and the need for effective cybersecurity measures to protect against them. Cybersecurity is an important field that helps protect individuals, businesses, and society from cyber threats. By studying cybersecurity, individuals can contribute to the overall security of their communities and society. The role of cybersecurity analysts is to solve impossible problems to the best of their abilities by building a bridge between the security of real-world items and technology. All good STEM majors know to question what they believe and to push the limits in their studies and theories until they’re groundbreaking. So when you ask about the problem that I hope to solve, know that I want to help protect our world as we know it. It’s impossible to not see how technology has made its mark on our world today, and it is my job to make sure the power of technology is not abused when in the wrong hands. I want to make a real and tangible difference in the world through the skills I plan to learn through college and internships once I graduate high school.

Not only can we access the world at our fingertips, but engineers have the power to change the world that we live in. I want to be a part of that change. I got interested in STEM as a child when I participated in local programs in my town such as Girls Coding With Girls, a student-run program that teaches young girls about computer science, and I've been interested ever since. Now, years later as a senior in high school I am a lead mentor in the same program that inspired me to choose engineering as my future career path. Even out of high school, I want to help inspire young girls like me to give STEM a chance. Tech careers and companies are not always the most welcome to women of color like me. When you are the only woman in a class of twenty or thirty you feel like you aren't smart enough to be there. Seeing more people that look like me, pursuing the same things as me, shows the need to keep fighting. To prove that you are worthy of the spot you're in. Engineering is a very broad field with so many categories and specializations it's difficult to decide what to choose. The health industry has hugely benefitted from engineering. I would love to work alongside other bio-engineers to solve and understand some of the world's most difficult medical issues. Creating medicine to solve cancers, learning more about genetic disorders, and creating the technology that doctors and nurses would use to save patients. As society grows so does the complexity of diseases and sicknesses. When strands like Covid-19 or illnesses like cancer attack, the demand for advanced cutting-edge medical advancements is necessary. Every single technological advancement that you can think of came to be through the perseverance and hard work of engineers. The role of biomedical engineers is to solve impossible problems to the best of their abilities by building a bridge between the medical world and the skills of an engineer. All good engineers know to question what they believe and to push the limits in their studies and theories until they’re groundbreaking. So when you ask about the positive impact that I want to make on the world, know that I want to be part of building a new one. A world with advancements that can combat things like Alzheimer's or rebuild nerve damage. I want to make a real and tangible difference in the world through the skills I plan to learn through college and internships once I graduate high school.