The velvet black of its pupil held an unfaltering gaze; its gaping mouth frozen in its last gasp for life. As the quiet quell of waves crash on the shore, I survey my surroundings. Peppered with an assortment of debris - tangled fishnets, broken glass, and degrading styrofoam - trash litters the beach like an abandoned graveyard, derelict and bereft of all life. Slapping yet another mosquito that threatened to bite me (probably the 157th that day), I distanced myself from the dead fish to pick up pieces of trash around me. Though we had been working for hours, the sea continued to indignantly spew out garbage. That day, I learned from the locals, who frequented these beach clean-ups, that the heaps of trash around me were not uncommon. The shock and vertigo that accompanied my realization transformed me irrevocably, sending me into a spiraling journey filled with numerous online sustainability courses, climate change documentaries, and eventually, my love for research and innovation in an attempt to figure out solutions for global sustainability. In my last two years of high school, I began using the knowledge I gained from theory-based classes and applying it into research, determined to find sustainable solutions for our earth. Surrounded by the steady stream of new problems to be solved, my mind was constantly swirling with a myriad of wild ideas. Engaging in research, I strove to curate sustainable bioplastic alternatives, having seen first-hand the absolute destruction our wasteful practices have rendered on our earth. My efforts led to new relationships, ideas, and growth. In fact, in my first year of competing in science fairs, I was ecstatic when I learned I’d won a scholarship to attend the “Engineering a Sustainable Future” summer camp through ISEF. Whether it be collaborating with peers in science camps or conducting research throughout the school year, the rush of joy I experience in these endeavors has made me confident in my choice to become a chemical engineer, one that strives to curate sustainable solutions for our earth. Furthermore, as a young Asian American woman, I believe diversity in the workplace is of immense importance, not only to me, but to other fellow aspiring engineers of minority backgrounds. It is empowering to see an increasing amount of talented and deserving individuals of minority backgrounds in STEM fields, and I believe this is just the beginning. As I continue to explore the world around me, my appreciation of our earth only increases. There is such beauty in nature, and we must fight to keep it so. Embarking on my journey as an engineer, I hope I can achieve my goals for a sustainable future for all.

The velvet black of its pupil held an unfaltering gaze; its gaping mouth frozen in its last gasp for life. As the quiet quell of waves crash on the shore, I survey my surroundings. Peppered with an assortment of debris - tangled fishnets, broken glass, and degrading styrofoam - trash litters the beach like an abandoned graveyard, derelict and bereft of all life. Slapping yet another mosquito that threatened to bite me (probably the 157th that day), I distanced myself from the dead fish to pick up pieces of trash around me. Though we had been working for hours, the sea continued to indignantly spew out garbage. That day, I learned from the locals, who frequented these beach clean-ups, that the heaps of trash around me were not uncommon. The shock and vertigo that accompanied my realization transformed me irrevocably, sending me into a spiraling journey filled with numerous online sustainability courses, climate change documentaries, and eventually, my love for research and innovation in an attempt to figure out solutions for global sustainability. In my last two years of high school, I began using the knowledge I gained from theory-based classes and applying it into research, determined to find sustainable solutions for our earth. Surrounded by the steady stream of new problems to be solved, my mind was constantly swirling with a myriad of wild ideas. Engaging in research, I strove to curate sustainable bioplastic alternatives, having seen first-hand the absolute destruction our wasteful practices have rendered on our earth. My efforts led to new relationships, ideas, and growth. In fact, in my first year of competing in science fairs, I was ecstatic when I learned I’d won a scholarship to attend the “Engineering a Sustainable Future” summer camp through ISEF. Whether it be collaborating with peers in science camps or conducting research throughout the school year, the rush of joy I experience in these endeavors has made me confident in my choice to become an engineer, one that strives to curate sustainable solutions for our earth. As I continue to explore the world around me, my appreciation of our earth only increases. There is such beauty in nature, and we must fight to keep it so. Embarking on my journey as an engineer, I hope I can achieve my goals for a sustainable future for all.