When I was in middle school, I joked that I planned to work for NASA one day. At the time, I never dreamed that would be possible. As I look back, I’m not sure why this dream felt more like a joke than a possibility. Perhaps the fact that this is a male dominated field made me believe that as a female, it would not be possible for me. Perhaps my doubts lie in the fact that I attend a small high school in Mississippi, and I believed those big dreams were for people from bigger cities where there were more opportunities. Over the years I have realized that the only limitations on my dreams are the ones I impose on myself. I know now that I live in a world where I can reach for the stars. As I considered what my major would be, my strengths in math and science led me to research engineering disciplines. I read articles about the research being done at NASA and I was hooked again. The most interesting mission to me currently is the second Artemis mission. Artemis II will put the first female and the first person of color on the moon. I am also intrigued by the work NASA is doing with the Department of Energy to harness power from ocean waves. Increasing our renewable energy is a benefit to our entire planet as we move into the future. There are many ways aerospace engineering has improved our daily lives. One major way is improving medical technologies such as CT scans, MRI and prosthetics. Aerospace engineers have also developed satellites containing advanced sensors which make it possible to make more accurate weather predictions and early warning systems. This increases safety during life threatening weather patterns. The navigation systems that we use daily on our phones are also a product of aerospace technology. It would be my dream career to take part in the research and development required for these cutting-edge projects. I have always enjoyed researching difficult concepts and I am excited to pursue the opportunity to find new ways to explore our world, push our boundaries, and expand the human race into the universe. As a female pursuing a career in a stereotypical “man’s field”, I realize I will face difficult challenges. While women make up around 50% of the college-educated workforce, only approximately 16% of engineering positions are held by women. When specifically considering aerospace engineers, the percentage of females drops to approximately 11%. This is a gender gap I would love to see change. I have often received questioning looks and discouraging comments when I state that I plan to major in aerospace engineering. I have discovered that my middle school self is not the only person who believes men are more capable in this field. However, I have been preparing to contend with the boys since childhood. I grew up with two older brothers who pushed me to be the best that I can be. They encouraged me to never back away from accepting challenges. My brothers always believed in me, and they have been instrumental in my believing in myself. I hope to use my experiences to be a motivating force to encourage more young girls to pursue STEM careers and work hard to chase their dreams. I understand that pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering will not be an easy task and will require focus and determination. This is a challenge I am prepared to face, and I am beginning this journey with eager anticipation that the sky is the limit.

During my eighth-grade year, our nation closed due to Covid 19. This afforded me the opportunity to begin my community service journey. I volunteered with Tupelo Hunger Coalition and spent many hours preparing meals and delivering food to at-risk children in my community. It was the first time I had seen firsthand that students in my community have real needs. What I learned from this experience is how important it is to care for people. When classes resumed in the fall, I took advantage of opportunities to serve students. My high school has a strong program for our special needs students. The Unified Club is a great club whose goal is to bring together students of all abilities to develop relationships and have fun. This is one of my favorite groups to work with. I volunteered in many activities such as basketball games, Night to Shine proms, adopt a buddy programs, and volunteering with Special Olympics. It has been a joy to ensure these students are included in our school and not just in the special needs program. I also had the opportunity to serve students through the sports I enjoy. I have volunteered as an instructor at basketball camp for the elementary students for 3 years and at cheer camp for the elementary students for 4 years. I also volunteered to student coach a basketball team in the elementary league. Participating with these young students gives me the opportunity to share my love of sports, and to be a positive influence encouraging them to work hard and make good decisions. I have also had the opportunity to serve my church family at Hope Church. I have volunteered with the pre-school ministry on an 8 week rotation to serve in the one year old class for the past 3 years. I have also served as a vocalist on the worship team for the past 3 years. As a member of the Serve Team, I have helped in many areas of ministry. During spring break of 2024, I was part of a Hope Church mission trip to the Dream Center in Los Angeles, CA. On this trip I had the privilege of serving the homeless community. I am a founding member of the IMAGE Leadership team in my youth group at Hope Church Tupelo. IMAGE stands for I Meet And Greet Everyone. This team was designed to welcome students and meet new students. This is a very intentional way to make all students feel included in the youth group. Accumulating more than 350 volunteer hours through high school has made volunteering in my community a way of life. As I begin my college career, I look forward to seeking new ways to participate in my community. I plan to join a sorority and I look forward to working with the philanthropies that are supported. I also intend to find a church that I can serve with in the community. What I have learned is that God has given us all gifts that are intended to be used to serve and impact other people. We all have something to offer someone. Volunteering for me is part of living a life of wisdom as described in the Bible. “Do some of you think that you are wise? Do you think that you are clever? If so, show that you are wise by the way that you live. Be kind to other people. Do things that are good. That is what it means to be wise.” (James 3:13 Easy English Bible)

When I was in middle school, I joked that I planned to work for NASA one day. At the time, I never dreamed that would be possible. As I look back, I’m not sure why this dream felt more like a joke than a possibility. Perhaps the fact that this is a male dominated field gave me the belief that as a female, it would not be possible for me. Perhaps my doubts lie in the fact that I attend a small high school in Mississippi, and I believed those big dreams were for people from bigger cities where there were more opportunities. Over the years I have realized that the only limitations on my dreams are the ones I impose on myself. I know now that I live in a world where I can reach for the stars, literally. I enjoy researching concepts and solving problems. As I began to consider what my major would be, my strengths in math and science led me to research engineering disciplines. I read articles about the research being done at NASA and I was hooked again. The most interesting mission to me currently is the second Artemis mission. Artemis II will put the first female and the first person of color on the moon. I am also intrigued by the work NASA is doing with the Department of Energy to harness power from ocean waves. Increasing our renewable energy is a benefit to our entire planet as we move into the future. It would be my dream career to be involved with the research and development required for these cutting-edge projects. I’m excited to pursue the opportunity to be part of a team that is researching and developing new ways to explore our world, push our boundaries, and expand the human race into the universe. As a female pursuing a career in a stereotypical “man’s field”, I realize I will face difficult challenges. I consider this an opportunity to expand the horizon for women. Only approximately 12% of aerospace engineers are female. I have often been faced with skeptical questions and discouraging comments when I say that I plan to major in aerospace engineering. I have discovered that my middle school self is not the only person who believes men are more capable in this field. While I know I will face gender related challenges in this field, I grew up with two older brothers who pushed me to be the best that I can be. My brothers always believed in me, and they have been instrumental in my believing in myself. I have been preparing since childhood to compete with the boys. I also believe this path will give me the opportunity to be an advocate for girls in STEM. I hope to be a motivating force to encourage more girls to pursue STEM careers and work hard to chase their dreams. I understand that pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering will not be an easy task and will require focus and determination. One goal I have for my college career is to participate in a study abroad program. Mississippi State University offers a summer program, Engineering Graphics in Scandinavia, that I am interested in studying. One reason I selected MSU is because it is the leading research University in Mississippi. I hope to participate in research at Mississippi State University that will allow me to explore options in my field. This scholarship would help me reduce the hours I will be required to work. This will provide me the time and financial assistance to pursue both goals.