If we don’t invest in the future, industry cannot grow, and technological leaps will stall. The WI Electrical Vehicle Scholarship is an investment in my future goals of becoming an engineer in cutting-edge fields like automotive and aerospace design. I have always been very curious about STEM technologies. I loved challenging myself to succeed in the most advanced classes offered in my high school. Although core sciences like physics and chemistry are no doubt interesting, I have always valued the impact of hands-on engineering. Classes such as Project Lead the Way have given me direct examples of what engineers deal with in solving today’s real-world problems. This foundation gives me the confidence that your investment in my future will be put to good use. My most rewarding extracurricular activities in high school centered around hands-on engineering design. As a member of the New Berlin Blitz Robot team, I worked for 6 years to become a senior leader on our team, particularly on the programming subteam, but also getting involved with electrical and mechanical design. As the Technician for our team's competitions last year, I have had direct involvement with the autonomous controls for our electrical robot, built from scratch every year. The opportunities to learn about electrical components such as batteries, controllers, and motors. I have also gained experience with different types of drive trains, such as swerve or mechanum drive. This foundation of mechanical technology, while not identical to automotive technologies in use today, has a direct link to the commercial design and advancement within the E-vehicle industry. As I get closer to attending college, it has become clear that the classwork experience is just the beginning of learning, and I am going to need to pursue additional opportunities in research and hands-on projects to get ahead in a quickly developing field like automotive advancement and aerodynamic vehicle technology. I have committed to attending the University of Wisconsin – Madison for Engineering Mechanics and Astronautics in the fall. I’ve worked a part-time job and summers to save money, but I know this is just a small portion of what I will need for college costs and extracurricular activities. Scholarships not only will supplement college tuition, but will also give me more opportunities to work on student research or in design competitions teams that will help me succeed in this career. My career ambitions are centered around emerging technologies. These industries make it essential to understand alternative fuel options to push technologies in diverse directions and towards unrelenting environments. Electric vehicles are leading the way in future transportation needs, whether this is for a commercially available family car or a specialized lunar rover on Mars. I can not anticipate the future technology that could revolutionize these industries, but scholarships like yours allow my generation to have a chance at playing a role in this groundbreaking industry.