In April of 2019, my grandmother passed away, and this is when I lost some social skills because I isolated myself. After all, it felt right. In January of 2020, I found out that my father had heart failure and that he had to receive surgery, then a few months later in March, COVID hit, but my mom's medical issues got too extreme, so she went to the hospital. I felt overwhelmed. When school became virtual, I thought I didn't have to talk to anyone else. But when school wasn't virtual, I realized I struggled to socialize with my peers and many others. I couldn't hold the conversation and couldn't relate to them. So I decided to join or be a part of clubs and organizations to put myself out there. When I joined Fairelgh Dickinson University's Girls Exploring Engineering program, at the time, I knew I had to think about what I wanted to do in life because I had numerous different aspirations, but knowing I was only able to pick one. This program made me realize that I wanted to be a computer engineer. So throughout the years up until now, I've opened a new pathway for myself. I’ve discovered there’s more than one way to handle my feelings. I've discovered that engineering is a field that I connect to the most, and I've learned that life will have ups and downs, but there’s always something that can make it better. Since I loved the engineering program at FDU, I decided to do it again, even though it just started, I’ve made many new friends already. To me, engineering isn’t just a way to be hands-on; it can teach you to step outside of your comfort zone and to build on your socializing skills, like it has done for me. Since the door of engineering opened, I’ve made RC Cars, a robot that helps me learn different types of mechanics and programming. I entered a special community that is so unique. I haven’t shut people out as much anymore, and my social skills have improved so much. Even though I still have my downfalls sometimes, I could always go back to engineering and work on it more. So, I chose to go to college for my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical and computer engineering and gain an internship for insight into my future career in software development. I wanted to go to college and major in engineering, a field that interests me most, not just for me but to help influence my family and younger kids. I know that they shouldn’t give up even if it gets hard. Throughout my college career, I want to have more experience with leadership so that when I go into a career in engineering, I will know how to be a leader by taking on projects and leading by example. All my life, I have been a go-getter, so whatever I put my mind to, I set myself to achieve it. I am also very determined, meaning if anyone tells me I am not capable of doing something, I set myself up to do it, but also excel in it. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by influencing younger kids about the beauty of STEM, I plan to increase the interest of youth who are involved in STEM, and show them how they can make a difference. I will influence them by showing them my pathway that made me choose my major in electrical and computer engineering.

My name is Larissa Jones, I am a high school early graduate, meaning I skipped 11th grade, I am a first-generation student, and was raised by a single mom. For the duration of high school, I have been heavily involved in football cheerleading, basketball cheerleading, competition cheerleading, softball, Students of Latinx Awareness, Black Youth Organization, and Be All You Academy. I have been heavily involved in my community regarding being a part of community organizations and volunteering my time of 104.5+ hours, alongside balancing summer classes for new credits. I feel that what puts me apart from other applicants is that I am devoted to my education, and I am proud of where I have come and who I am to become. I will continue my studies at Rowan University for a bachelor's and master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I will also be moving forward to gain an internship with a company such as Apple, Google, Lenovo, NASCAR, or Dell. When I graduate, I will start my career and save up my money to build my own house from the ground up, renovate my mom's house( my childhood home), and pay off college. One day, I'd hope to make my own business and/or carry a legacy for my family to continue to embrace and build on down the line. I want to be an inspiration not only to myself but to younger kids I know, including my younger siblings who are having a rough patch right now. I am not devoted to my education just because I can, I am devoted to it to make a difference and a change in young minds and how they see education. I plan to make a positive impact on the world by influencing younger kids about the beauty of STEM, I plan to increase the interest of youth who are involved in STEM, and show them how they can make a difference. I will influence them by showing them my pathway that made me choose my major in electrical and computer engineering. I would also like to expand on inclusivity. I’ve always wanted to build on the young minds and help them embrace an interest in STEM, so I would take this project as an initiative to take young women and children from underrepresented communities to partake in hands-on experiences. Not everyone can get the chance to learn about areas in STEM, which is why some people feel that it is challenging and tend to avoid this area of study or career. This would help grow young minds so they can learn not only the importance of STEM, but also to help embrace future careers and studies in STEM.

My name is Larissa Jones, I am a high school early graduate, meaning I skipped 11th grade, I am a first-generation student and was raised by a single mom. For the duration of high school, I have been heavily involved in football cheerleading, basketball cheerleading, competition cheerleading, softball, Students of Latinx Awareness, Black Youth Organization, and Be All You Academy. I have been heavily involved in my community regarding being a part of community organizations and volunteering my time of 104.5+ hours, alongside balancing summer classes for new credits. I feel that what puts me apart from other applicants is that I am devoted to my education, and I am proud of where I have come and who I am to become. I want to be an inspiration not only to myself but to younger kids I know, including my younger siblings who are having a rough patch right now. I am not devoted to my education just because I can, I am devoted to it to make a difference and a change in young minds and how they see education. For a five-year plan, I will continue my studies at Rowan University for a bachelor's and master's in Electrical and Computer Engineering. I will also be moving forward to gain an internship with a company such as Apple, Google, Lenovo, Nascar, or Dell. When I graduate, I will start my career and save up my money to build my own house from the ground up, renovate my mom's house( my childhood home), and pay off college. One day I'd hope to make my own business and/or carry a legacy for my family to continue to embrace and build onto down the line. Alongside what I previously mentioned about my five-year plan, I would also like to like to exapand on inclusivity. I’ve always wanted to build on the young minds and help them embrace an interest in STEM, so I would take this project as an initiative to take young women and children from underrepresented communities to partake in hands-on experiences. Not everyone can get the chance to learn about areas in STEM, which is why some people feel that it is challenging and tend to avoid this area of study or career. This would help grow young minds so they can learn not only the importance of STEM, but also to help embrace future careers and studies in STEM.

I chose to major in engineering, a field that interests me most, not just for me but to help influence my family and younger kids. I know that they shouldn’t give up even if it gets hard. To get more into detail, I have chosen this field of interest not because economically it’s a great choice, I chose it because I have always found that this field is very engaging and it will have an impact on this world as the years may come and I want to be a part of that. I’d also like to receive an internship to gain insight into my future career in software development. I want the pathway I have chosen to be an enlightening experience that benefits me for the better and not the worse. Throughout my college career, I want to have more experience with leadership so that when I go into a career in engineering, I will know how to be a leader through taking on projects and leading by example. I want it to open my eyes, positively impact my future career, and help me improve myself as a person and with my skills. Being a part of engineering communities, groups, clubs, and organizations can further lead me in the right direction, I would like to be a part of them for myself and the future of my career. A program at Fairleigh Dickinson University called Girls Exploring Engineering(GEE). Afterwards, I wanted to be a computer engineer. So, throughout the years, I've opened a new pathway for myself. I’ve discovered there’s more than one way to handle my feelings. I've discovered that engineering is a field that I connect to the most; life has ups and downs, but there’s something that can make it better. Since I loved the engineering program at FDU, I decided to do it again, and even though it just started, I’ve made many new friends already. To me, engineering isn’t just a way to be hands-on; it can teach you to step outside of your comfort zone and to build on your socializing skills, as it has for me. Since engineering opened doors, I’ve made RC Cars and a robot that helps me learn different types of mechanics and programming. I entered a special community. I haven’t shut people out as much anymore, and my social skills have improved. Even though I still have my downfalls sometimes, I could always go back to my engineering community and work on my social skills more. I have chosen to obtain my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical and computer engineering. I wanted to go to college and major in engineering, a field that interests me most, not just for me but to help influence my family and younger kids. I know that they shouldn’t give up even if it gets hard. To get more into detail, I have chosen this field of interest not because economically it’s a great choice, I chose it because I have always found that this field is very engaging and it will have an impact on this world as the years may come and I want to be a part of that. I’d also like to receive an internship to gain insight into my future career in software development. I want the pathway I have chosen to be an enlightening experience that benefits me for the better and not the worse.

I have chosen to obtain my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical and computer engineering. I wanted to go to college and major in engineering, a field that interests me most, not just for me but to help influence my family and younger kids. I know that they shouldn’t give up even if it gets hard. To get more into detail, I have chosen this field of interest not because economically it’s a great choice, I chose it because I have always found that this field is very engaging and it will have an impact on this world as the years may come and I want to be a part of that. I’d also like to receive an internship to gain insight into my future career in software development. I want the pathway I have chosen to be an enlightening experience that benefits me for the better and not the worse. Throughout my college career, I want to have more experience with leadership so that when I go into a career in engineering, I will know how to be a leader through taking on projects and leading by example. I want it to open my eyes, positively impact my future career, and help me improve myself as a person and with my skills. Being a part of engineering communities, groups, clubs, and organizations can further lead me in the right direction, I would like to be a part of them for myself and the future of my career. In April of 2019, my grandmother passed away, and this is when I lost some social skills because I isolated myself. After all, it felt right. In January of 2020, I found out that my father had heart failure, then a few months later in March, COVID hit, but my mom's medical issues got too extreme, so she went to the hospital. Because of this, and school becoming virtual, I thought I felt like not talking to anyone else. But when school wasn't virtual, I realized I struggled with socializing with my peers and others. So I decided to join or be a part of clubs and organizations to put myself out there. When I joined Fairleigh Dickinson University's Girls Exploring Engineering program, I found a community and a love for engineering. After joining a series of clubs and organizations, I found a community, support, and new friends. Even though I still have my downfalls sometimes, I can always go back to my engineering community.

In April of 2019, my grandmother passed away. I did everything with her, like watching old-time TV shows, cooking, and playing games. I could talk to her about everything because she’s my safe space. When she passed, I lost some social skills because I sheltered myself, only going to school and wherever my mom went. She was one of the most important things I have lost in my life. In January 2020, I found out my dad had heart failure and needed to get a device implanted in his chest. Then, a few months later, COVID-19 hit, and I had to start virtual school in March 2020. This meant I wasn't going out. I thought I didn’t need to talk to anyone, so I saw this as a relief to enclose myself from the world. A month later, my mom was hospitalized because her medical issues became too extreme. I was scared and traumatized from the passing of my grandmother and seeing her hooked up to what seemed like everything the hospital had, and from my dad in the hospital. Only a year passed, but it felt like a few weeks. What made me feel worse wasn’t that she had to spend nights in the hospital; it was that she could’ve died if she hadn’t made it to the hospital. I started talking to my childhood friend again, and after a few weeks, I met her friends. We’d become closer every day. After 3 months or so, I decided to talk to my friends who are my neighbors because we used to hang out, whom I’d shut out. This was more challenging for me because they were mainly males, and I didn’t know how to interact with males. With that being said, I tried new things like going outside more and being more involved with school, like joining clubs for women empowerment and a program at Fairleigh Dickinson University called Girls Exploring Engineering(GEE). Afterwards, I wanted to be a computer engineer. So, throughout the years, I've opened a new pathway for myself. I’ve discovered there’s more than one way to handle my feelings. I've discovered that engineering is a field that I connect to the most; life has ups and downs, but there’s something that can make it better. Since I loved the engineering program at FDU, I decided to do it again, and even though it just started, I’ve made many new friends already. To me, engineering isn’t just a way to be hands-on; it can teach you to step outside of your comfort zone and to build on your socializing skills, as it has for me. Since engineering opened doors, I’ve made RC Cars and a robot that helps me learn different types of mechanics and programming. I entered a special community. I haven’t shut people out as much anymore, my social skills have improved, and I skipped a grade in high school. Even though I still have my downfalls sometimes, I could always go back to my engineering community and work on my social skills more.

In April of 2019, my grandmother passed away. I did everything with her, watching old-time TV shows, cooking, and playing games. I could talk to her about everything because she’s my safe space. When she passed, I lost some social skills because I sheltered myself, only going to school, and wherever my mom went. She was one of the most important things I have lost in my life. In January 2020, I found out my dad had heart failure and needed to get a device implanted in his chest, then a few months later COVID hit and I had to start virtual school in March 2020. This meant I wasn't going out. I thought I didn’t need to talk to anyone, so I saw this as a relief to enclose myself from the world. A month later my mom was hospitalized because her medical issues got too extreme. I was scared and traumatized from the passing of my grandmother and seeing her hooked up to what seemed like everything the hospital had, and from my dad in the hospital. Only a year passed, and it felt like a few weeks. What made me feel worse wasn’t that she had to spend nights in the hospital, it was that she could’ve died if she didn’t make it to the hospital. I started talking to my childhood friend again, and after a few weeks, I met her friends. We’d become closer every day. After 3 months or so, I decided to talk to my friends who are my neighbors because we used to hang out, whom I’d shut out. This was more challenging for me because they were mainly males and I didn’t know how to interact with males. With that being said, I tried new things like going outside more and being more involved with school, like joining clubs for women empowerment and a program at Fairleigh Dickinson University called Girls Exploring Engineering(GEE). Afterwards, I wanted to be a computer engineer. So throughout the years, I've opened a new pathway for myself. I’ve discovered there’s more than one way to handle my feelings, I've discovered that engineering is a field that I connect to the most, life has ups and downs, but there’s something that can make it better. Since I loved the engineering program at FDU, I decided to do it again, even though it just started, I’ve made many new friends already. To me engineering isn’t just a way to be hands-on, it can teach you to step outside of your comfort zone and to build on your socializing skills as it has for me. Since engineering opened doors, I’ve made RC Cars, a robot that helps me learn different types of mechanics and programming. I entered a special community. I haven’t shut people out as much anymore and my social skills have improved. So, I decided to go to college and get my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical and computer engineering. Even though I still have my downfalls sometimes, I could always go back to my engineering community and work on my social skills more.

In April of 2019, my grandmother passed away, and this is when I lost some social skills because I self-isolated myself. After all, it felt right. In January of 2020, I found out that my father had heart failure and that he had to receive surgery, then a few months later in March, COVID hit, but my mom's medical issues got too extreme so she went to the hospital. I felt overwhelmed. When school became virtual, I thought I didn't have to talk to anyone else. But when school wasn't virtual, I realized I struggled to socialize with my peers and many others. I couldn't hold the conversation and couldn't relate to them. So I decided to join or be a part of clubs and organizations to put myself out there. Doing this would help me get out of the house more and force me to talk to others. When I joined Fairelgh Dickison University's Girls Exploring Engineering program, at the time I knew I had to think about what I wanted to do in life because I had numerous different aspirations, but knowing I was only able to pick one. This program made me realize that I wanted to be a computer engineer. So throughout the years up until now, I've opened a new pathway for myself. I’ve discovered there’s more than one way to handle my feelings, I've discovered that engineering is a field that I connect to the most, and I've learned that life will have ups and downs but there’s always something that can make it better. Since I loved the engineering program at FDU, I decided to do it again, even though it just started, I’ve made many new friends already. To me, engineering isn’t just a way to be hands-on, it can teach you to step outside of your comfort zone and to build on your socializing skills like it has done for me. Since the door of engineering opened, I’ve made RC Cars, a robot that helps me learn different types of mechanics and programming. I entered a special community that is so unique. I haven’t shut people out as much anymore and my social skills have improved by so much. Even though I still have my downfalls sometimes, I could always go back to engineering and work on it more. So, I chose to go to college for my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical and computer engineering. I’d like to have a sense of community wherever I go, which will help me be more social and connect with the school itself through activities and various programs. I want to receive an internship to gain insight into my future career in software development. I wanted to go to college and major in engineering, a field that interests me most, not just for me but to help influence my family and younger kids I know that they shouldn’t give up even if it gets hard. Throughout my college career, I want to have more experience with leadership so that when I go into a career in engineering, I will know how to be a leader by taking on projects and leading by example. All my life I have been a go-getter, so whatever I put my mind to I set myself to achieve it. I am also very determined, meaning if anyone tells me I am not capable of doing something I set myself up to do it, but also excel in it.

A program at Fairleigh Dickinson University called Girls Exploring Engineering(GEE). Afterwards, I wanted to be a computer engineer. So throughout the years, I've opened a new pathway for myself. I’ve discovered there’s more than one way to handle my feelings, I've discovered that engineering is a field that I connect to the most, life has ups and downs, but there’s something that can make it better. Since I loved the engineering program at FDU, I decided to do it again, even though it just started, I’ve made many new friends already. To me engineering isn’t just a way to be hands-on, it can teach you to step outside of your comfort zone and to build on your socializing skills as it has for me. Since engineering opened doors, I’ve made RC Cars, a robot that helps me learn different types of mechanics and programming. I entered a special community. I haven’t shut people out as much anymore and my social skills have improved. Even though I still have my downfalls sometimes, I could always go back to my engineering community and work on my social skills more. I have chosen to obtain my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical and computer engineering. I wanted to go to college and major in engineering, a field that interests me most, not just for me but to help influence my family and younger kids I know that they shouldn’t give up even if it gets hard. To get more into detail, I have chosen this field of interest not because economically it’s a great choice, I chose it because I have always found that this field is very engaging and it will have an impact on this world as the years may come and I want to be a part of that. I’d also like to receive an internship to gain insight into my future career in software development. I want the pathway I have chosen to be an enlightening experience that benefits me for the better and not the worse. Throughout my college career, I want to have more experience with leadership so that when I go into a career in engineering, I will know how to be a leader through taking on projects and leading by example. I want it to open my eyes, positively impact my future career, and help me improve myself as a person and with my skills. Being a part of engineering communities, groups, clubs, and organizations can further lead me in the right direction, I would like to be a part of for myself and the future of my career.

I have chosen to obtain my bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical and computer engineering. I wanted to go to college and major in engineering, a field that interests me most, not just for me but to help influence my family and younger kids I know that they shouldn’t give up even if it gets hard. To get more into detail, I have chosen this field of interest not because economically it’s a great choice, I chose it because I have always found that this field is very engaging and it will have an impact on this world as the years may come and I want to be a part of that. I’d also like to receive an internship to gain insight into my future career in software development. I want the pathway I have chosen to be an enlightening experience that benefits me for the better and not the worse. Throughout my college career, I want to have more experience with leadership so that when I go into a career in engineering I will know how to be a leader through taking on projects and leading by example. I want it to open my eyes, positively impact my future career, and help me improve myself as a person and with my skills. Being a part of engineering communities, groups, clubs, and organizations can further lead me in the right direction I would like to be a part of for myself and the future of my career.