My mother, who is a nurse, influenced my interest in going into the medical field. However, her stories about the profession deterred me from pursuing nursing. I was interested in something other than the more traditional medical careers like doctors or nurses, as my strengths leaned more towards the artistic and innovative side. After researching different careers, I discovered Biomedical Engineering. Being an artist influenced the way I see the world. It made me more creative as I expressed my ideas on paper. Combining my interest in medicine with my love for engineering was enticing, and I knew Biomedical Engineering was the best fit. The fact that the educational pathway for this career aligned with multiple other jobs in engineering and medicine made it even more appealing. My passion for this career was fueled by movies and shows, especially science fiction. For example, in Star Wars, Anakin and Luke Skywalker's prosthetic hands showcased advanced technology that made hand movements smooth and complex, replicating real hands. The synthetic skin on Luke Skywalker's hand made it difficult to tell that it was a prosthetic. I researched further and found out about bionic limbs, which are prosthetics powered by nerve signals. The possibility of something from fiction becoming a reality in just a few years was thrilling to me, and I wanted to be part of the community that makes these advancements. I had ideas like robotic eyes connected to the optic nerve to restore sight, artificial organs to address the donor shortage, and technology to inhibit muscle atrophy. In middle school, I began taking beginner engineering classes. The design process played into my strengths and made me think about what could and wouldn't work in the real world. In High School, I took more health and engineering-related classes like Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, and Medical Interventions and participated in Med Club and HOSA. These classes gave me an insight into what I'd be doing in different careers. My favorite parts were Forensics and designing medical tools. In my Junior year, my Medical Interventions class required us to design and create a prosthetic using only basic materials like wood, glue, or cardboard. My partner and I found references, gathered the materials, and worked hard to create a functioning prosthetic capable of up-down and side-side movements. This project was one of my favorites that year and solidified my career aspirations for the future. Engineering is a male-dominated field, which deters some women from pursuing a career in this field. I have personally witnessed the imbalance. Recently, the Freshman engineering majors in my college had to gather with our specific majors. I noticed that for every woman, there were about fifteen more men. One woman that I talked to stated that she was one of three girls in a class of about fifty. This is a huge gender gap, and I hope to be a part of the reason why this will close in the future. I've already started influencing some family members and friends to go into engineering, and I hope they take my advice. It's a wonderful field that has a lot to offer.

The first time I encountered Billie Eilish was during a flight back home from Uganda to the United States. Throughout most of the flight, I was watching movies and listening to music. As I was browsing through songs, I stumbled upon "bellyache". It was a transformative experience hearing the song, so much so that I spent the next eight hours of the flight exclusively listening to it. The lyrics and the instruments were unlike anything I had heard before, and I was captivated by them. Even now, the song evokes the same emotions I felt when I first heard it. Her music continues to influence the genres I listen to, and she has played a significant role in shaping my life. The song "my future" instilled in me a determination to carve out a name for myself in my career. It reminds me that I aspire to better things in life every time I listen to it. In society, many people seem to emphasize that getting married and having children was essential for success in life. I've come to realize that it's not necessarily true; it depends on the individual and what they genuinely desire in life. They should have the opportunity to explore their options before making decisions. Listening to "my future" has helped me understand that there is more to life. It has reassured me that it's okay if I end up alone romantically. I shouldn't depend on a relationship to find happiness; I should seek it within myself. "Happier than ever" encapsulated my feelings towards two toxic individuals in my life. It empowered me to distance myself from one person and prompted me to consider doing the same with the second. Constant interaction with these individuals left me feeling emotionally drained to the extent that it affected my well-being. This realization led me to create some distance. Upon reflection, I realized how one person either belittled me or simply didn't acknowledge my achievements despite my support for them. The first verse perfectly depicted my relationship with the second person, which had become so strained that I stand to be near them. This song provided me with comfort in a way that few other things could. In general, Billie's music resonates with my emotions and past experiences, making me feel less isolated with them. I am thankful for Billie Eilish and the impact that her music has had on others and myself.

My mother enforced my interest in the medical field as she is a nurse. Over the years, she would tell me about what it is like, which deterred me from Nursing. I was interested in something other than the more popular medical careers like Doctors or Nurses. My strengths leaned more toward the artistic and innovative side, so those professions would not be a good fit. When I did more research into the medical field, I discovered Biomedical Engineering, the advancements of medical technology. The idea of combining my interest in medicine with my love for engineering was entracing, and I knew Biomedical Engineering was the best fit. I would use art and my imagination in the design process and add suggestions from different points of view on projects. It also helped that the educational pathway of this career aligned with multiple other jobs in Engineering and Medicine made it all the more appealing. TV shows and Movies enhanced my love for the job, especially Science Fiction. Star Wars is an excellent example of this with Anakin and Luke Skywalker's prosthetic hands. The technology that went into them made the hand movements smooth and complex, replicating real hands. The synthetic skin Luke Skywalker had made it hard to tell that he even had a prosthetic. I searched to see if there was something similar and found bionic limbs, prosthetics powered by nerve signals. The fact that something from Fiction could be a possibility in real life in just a few years is thrilling to look forward to. I wanted to be a part of the community that makes these advancements. I had ideas like robotic eyes connected to the optic nerve that could give someone their sight back, artificial organs that would resolve the donor shortage and technology that could inhibit muscle atrophy. In middle school, I started to take beginner engineering classes. The design process played into my strengths and made me think about what could and wouldn't work in the real world. In High School, I took more health and engineering-related classes like Principles of Biomedical Science, Human Body Systems, and Medical Interventions and participated in Med Club and HOSA. These classes gave me an insight into what I'd be doing in different careers. My favorite parts were Forensics and designing medical tools. In Junior year, my Medical Interventions tasked us to design and create a prosthetic. We could only use basic materials like wood, glue, or cardboard. My partner and I looked for inspiration, got the materials, and worked hard. We successfully made a functioning prosthetic that could make up-down and side-side movements. It was one of my favorite projects that year and cemented what I wanted to do in the future.