1. I am currently pursuing my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Carolina after beginning my college journey at Midlands Technical College. Throughout school, I have also worked as a nail technician to help support myself and pay for my education. Balancing work with demanding engineering courses has taught me discipline, patience, responsibility, and how to keep moving forward even when I feel tired, overwhelmed, or unsure of myself. What motivates me most is seeing how far I have come and knowing that my education can create opportunities that once felt out of reach. There have been times when I walked into engineering classrooms where most of the students were men and questioned whether I truly belonged there. Instead of letting that doubt stop me, I learned to prepare more, ask questions, seek help when I needed it, and trust the effort I was putting into my education. Over time, each difficult class I completed helped me become more confident in myself and in the path I had chosen. If I could do anything with my life, I would build a career as a mechanical engineer working on meaningful projects involving energy, nuclear technology, thermal systems, mechanical design, testing, and safety. I want to work on problems where I can see that my contribution made a system safer, more efficient, or more reliable. I am especially drawn to work that combines technical problem-solving with a clear purpose and allows me to continue learning throughout my career. I also hope my journey can encourage other women who may doubt whether they belong in STEM. I want them to know that confidence does not always come first. Sometimes it grows by continuing to show up, learning from mistakes, asking for help, and refusing to give up on the future you are working toward. 2. What excites me most about STEM is that it gives people the ability to understand complex problems and turn that understanding into solutions that can improve everyday life. Mechanical engineering has introduced me to many areas, including heat transfer, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, materials, design, programming, laboratory testing, and data analysis. I enjoy seeing how these subjects connect and how they can be applied to real systems rather than remaining only as equations in a classroom. Heat transfer became one of my favorite subjects because I enjoyed understanding how energy moves through a system and how engineering calculations can explain what is physically happening. I am also beginning a Senior Design project with Savannah River involving a support fixture for radioactive-material package fire testing. That project is giving me the opportunity to see how mechanical design, testing, calculations, computer modeling, safety, and teamwork come together to solve a real engineering problem. Although I am pursuing Mechanical Engineering, technology is an important part of almost everything engineers do today. Engineers rely on software to create designs, perform simulations, analyze data, automate processes, monitor equipment, and communicate technical information. I believe my engineering background would allow me to bring a practical and analytical perspective to a career involving information technology. Through my career, I hope to use technology to help make engineering systems safer, more reliable, and more efficient. Whether I am analyzing data, improving a mechanical design, supporting automated systems, or using computer tools to better understand how a system will perform, I want my work to solve meaningful problems. What excites me most is knowing that STEM gives me the opportunity to keep learning while contributing to technology and systems that people depend on. 3. One of the greatest challenges I have had to overcome has been learning to truly believe that I belong in engineering. When I began taking engineering courses, I quickly noticed that many of my classrooms were dominated by men. Walking into those rooms as one of only a few women could feel intimidating. There were moments when I compared myself to other students and questioned whether I was smart enough, prepared enough, or capable enough to succeed in such a demanding field. At the same time, I was working as a nail technician while completing my education. Working has helped me support myself and pay for school, but balancing customers, work hours, assignments, exams, projects, and difficult engineering courses has required a great deal of discipline and sacrifice. There were days when I felt exhausted, overwhelmed, or discouraged, but I kept reminding myself why I started and how much earning my degree would mean for my future. Over time, I learned to focus on what I could control. I prepared for class, studied harder when I did not understand something, asked questions, reviewed difficult material, and sought help when I needed it. I also stopped seeing questions or mistakes as signs that I did not belong. Instead, I began seeing them as part of the process of becoming a better engineer. Every difficult class I completed and every challenge I worked through helped build my confidence. I learned that I do not need to know everything immediately to deserve a place in the room. Persistence, preparation, curiosity, and a willingness to keep learning have become some of my greatest strengths. Engineering has challenged me academically and personally, but it has also made me more resilient, confident, and determined to create the future I have worked so hard toward.

Growing up as a minority woman in South Carolina, I did not often see people who looked like me in STEM fields. Engineering, in particular, felt like a space where I would have to prove myself more than others. Instead of discouraging me, that realization became one of the main reasons I chose to pursue mechanical engineering. Throughout my academic journey, I have often found myself as one of the only women and sometimes the only minority in my classes. At first, this was intimidating. There were moments where I questioned whether I truly belonged, especially in challenging courses like physics, statics, and electrical engineering. These subjects pushed me far outside of my comfort zone, and at times, I struggled to keep up. However, those experiences forced me to develop resilience, discipline, and confidence in my ability to learn difficult material. Being underrepresented has made me more aware of the importance of visibility. When you do not see people like yourself in a field, it can be easy to feel like you are not meant to be there. I realized that by continuing in engineering, I could become part of the representation that is currently missing. I want younger girls, especially those from minority backgrounds, to see someone like me and believe that they can succeed in STEM too. In addition to academic challenges, balancing financial responsibilities and school has also shaped my journey. Working while studying engineering has required strong time management and determination. There have been moments where the stress of finances and coursework felt overwhelming, but those obstacles have strengthened my work ethic and reinforced my commitment to my goals. My passion for engineering comes from my desire to create practical solutions that improve people’s lives. Through my coursework and projects, I have developed skills in design, problem-solving, and critical thinking. One of my goals is to work in an engineering role where I can contribute to real-world innovations while continuing to grow professionally. I am particularly interested in opportunities that allow me to work on projects that have a meaningful impact on communities. Looking toward the future, I want to do more than just succeed in my own career. I want to help others along the way. I plan to mentor younger students, especially women and minorities, who are interested in STEM but may feel unsure about pursuing it. Whether through tutoring, mentorship programs, or simply sharing my experiences, I hope to provide the encouragement and guidance that I once needed myself. Receiving this scholarship would not only ease the financial burden of my education, but it would also serve as a reminder that my journey matters. It would allow me to focus more on my studies and continue pushing forward in a field where diversity is still growing. My experiences as a minority woman have not limited me, they have shaped my strength, my ambition, and my purpose. I am determined to use my education in STEM not only to build a successful career, but also to help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for future generations.