When I started college, I only knew I wanted to do engineering. I sat in on presentations, listened to people talk about the different disciplines, and waited for one of them to click. Like many other students who want to do engineering, I had always excelled in math and science, but I also truly enjoyed it. Additionally, I thrive in challenging environments and solving problems. But outside of that, I am a very community-oriented person. I make it a central point of my life to volunteer and give back as often as I can, and I wanted to ensure the engineering discipline I choose would allow me to do that. That's when I decided on construction engineering. I am committed to professional growth and leadership within the industry and contributing to meaningful projects that benefit communities. My ultimate career goal in engineering is to become a project manager. This role would allow me to lead teams, ensuring ethical and efficient project execution. This summer, I look forward to pursuing an internship in my field and gaining hands-on experience with industry professionals. I am very grateful for this opportunity, as I am only a freshman, and it is rare for first-year students to obtain these opportunities. However, I have a lot of passion for the STEM field and have worked towards this goal relentlessly. My field of STEM is significantly more male-dominated than many other fields. Knowing that another long-term goal of mine is to contribute to the industry's inclusivity. Additionally, I want to advocate for sustainability and technological advancements, such as building information modeling and lean construction. As I previously mentioned, one of the main reasons I chose construction engineering is because the industry does so much to give back to the community. I am involved in an Associated General Contractors (AGC) club, which hosts build days and weekend work days focused on putting our skills to good use. A specific example of volunteering is their work for Hope Farms in Ames, Iowa. The Care Farm is a non-profit organization. Care farming uses farm activities as therapy, fostering social, life, and job skills in a supportive, natural setting. These programs are inclusive and tailored to neurodivergent individuals and families with varied abilities. Care farms offer supervised experiences in animal care and plant cultivation. My efforts played a key role in ensuring that build days operated efficiently, allowing significant progress. I am incredibly thankful that being a part of STEM has afforded me such impactful volunteer opportunities. Moreover, I desire to continue inspiring and mentoring others, particularly women in STEM and construction, fostering inclusion and industry growth. I am grateful for all the opportunities pursuing a degree in the STEM field has offered me. I can't wait to get into the workforce and put all the great things I can do into action. I highly pride myself on my personal journey, career aspirations, and dedication to service. Above all else, I am excited to give back to the communities that do so much for individuals. I am committed to improving the world, and STEM allows an outlet for that passion.