My passion for cars began when I watched the Fast and the Furious movies as a kid. Those films sparked my fascination with building cool cars and racing. Since then, I've watched countless other car movies and TV shows, and along the way, I became a fan of Formula One. My interest only grew from there, and I've been eager to pursue this passion ever since. Recently, I attended Universal Technical Institute's Summer Ignite Class on Engines 101. The experience taught me a lot about cars to start off with, but also that building and fixing parts of the car is the career I want to prusue. The experience truly showed me I was in the right place. I've always thought about rebuilding a car and learning to drive manual, but meeting new people who share the same passion for cars as I do made me realize this is where I belong. It will take a lot of effort, but I know it will be worth it. I want to pursue a career in automotive mechanics, so I can build and work on cars, but also help others learn about them. As a woman, there is not a lot of representation in the trades, and my goal is to be able to show other young girls that it is possible because I didn't really see much of that growing up. I want to own a shop when I'm old enough, and I want to teach and have the ability to have a space where It's welcoming to everyone and not be worried about fitting in or even being judged.I think thats an imporotant aspect to grow the automotive industry. There really aren't enough words to fully describe how it feels to be around cars. It's more of a feeling than something you can easily explain. If I'm having a bad day, watching a car movie or just going on a night drive, it changes everything. I feel like I'm being lifted, and my whole mood changes, and I want to do a job that makes me happy and isn't about the moeny its about the atmosphere and the people.I'm excited to be able to constantly build repairs and work on cars. I've always loved fixing things, and automative mechanic allows me to do so many of the things that I enjoy. This is why I want to pursue this path and the place where I truly belong. Collapse

For the last nine years, my normal hasn’t been like everyone else’s. Ever since I was 7 years old, I have lived with hypermobility and chronic pain in my joints. When I went to the doctor, and they asked how much pain I was in, it was always at least a 6/10 for a 7-year-old; that's not normal. Before any doctor was able to figure out my disability, I went from specialist to specialist trying to find an answer, but my test results were always inconclusive. My appointments were often long, far away, and only available during school hours, causing me to miss a significant amount of school. There are days I’m in so much that I can't get out of bed to attend class. Although I used to love learning, missing so much school made it difficult. Despite my good grades, some teachers and classmates doubted me simply because I wasn’t in school as often as everyone else. It taught me to keep going despite other people's opinions, and advocating for yourself is a priority. I had to stay home often because of my pain and doctor's appointments. My dad worked in IT and would often work from home. I was always a curious kid. While he was working, he would show me the different parts of a computer or TV, and in everyday life, he taught me how to work on cars and build shelves. I always loved fixing and building things. Growing up. I never enjoyed playing with dolls; instead, I preferred Legos and Lincoln Logs. When I got to middle school, that interest led me to join the engineering program, where I discovered my passion for designing and building things. My engineering teacher never gave me a hard time about missing school. She was incredibly understanding, and she made me feel welcome. When it was time to start high school, I picked the wrong program. I was being bullied, and because I was missing so much school, I fell behind in some areas. As a result, I chose not to continue with engineering in high school. Even so, I eventually found my way back to my love of tinkering. I started watching Formula 1, and I had always loved movies like Fast & Furious and cars in general. That inspired me to pursue a career as a mechanic first and later become a Formula 1 engineer. Although it will be physically challenging because of my disability, it is something I have always loved, and I am determined to continue pursuing it. Continuing on this path will not be easy because of my chronic pain. My disability has caused me to miss a significant amount of school, and it will likely affect my ability to work while I’m earning my education. There will be times when I’m physically unable to work enough hours to cover the cost of tuition, books, and other educational expenses. Receiving this scholarship would help relieve some of that financial burden and allow me to continue working toward my education and career goals. My disability has presented many obstacles throughout my life, but it has also taught me resilience and determination. I won't let it stop my dream of becoming a Formula 1 engineer.

At a young age, I faced anxiety, depression, and ADHD. It was always hard to get the help I needed. As a girl who could usually focus in school, no doctor ever thought anything was wrong with me. But I knew something was off. I could never properly concentrate, and I often felt sad when others were happy about an event. I just wanted to be alone. Doctors thought the only help I could get was medication. Thankfully, my parents, who both face mental health challenges themselves, advocated for me, and they were able to get me the help I needed through therapy and learning coping skills. Going through all of that taught me a lot about patience and to never give up on myself. School has never really been hard for me academically. I’ve always been able to get A’s and B’s, but in class, it can be a struggle. Anxiety attacks make it hard to focus, and depression makes it hard to even get out of bed or show up. Some days it feels like this heavyweight takes over, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t push past it. But these experiences taught me to keep going anyway, even when it’s hard. I've also always struggled with the social side of school. Making friends and even keeping them has never been easy. I'm shy at first, but when I feel comfortable, I can be really expressive and all over the place. Mental health challenges sometimes make me stop talking or pull away, which made friends think I disliked them, which was, however, not the case, as they never fully understood the challenges that I faced. Bullying in school made me feel like I wasn't enough. I used to think people hated me, which made me even more depressed. Those experiences hurt, but they taught me that relationships aren't permanent and people come and go, and it's okay. I've learned that you have to value the connections that truly matter and cherish them. My mental health experience is actually part of why I'm so passionate about STEM and why I want to become a mechanic and Engineer. People can be hard to understand, but machines and design will always make sense to me. I understand machines, and I know that I can figure out a problem, and being around them calms me down. The ability to use ADHD to my advantage and use all of the energy on solving problems and figuring things out. Even if I can't figure out my own struggles or problems, I'm able to design solutions for other mechanical problems. Mental health is an adversity that a lot of people face, and not everyone knows what that person is going through because of hiding it,t but it shouldn't stop you from having dreams or aspirations.

My passion for cars began when I watched the Fast and the Furious movies as a kid. Those films sparked my fascination with building cool cars and racing. Since then, I've watched countless other car movies and TV shows, and along the way, I became a fan of Formula One. My interest only grew from there, and I've been eager to pursue this passion ever since. Recently, I attended Fuel Fest and watched drifting, taking in all the cars and witnessing how everyone came together to honor Paul Walker. The experience truly showed me I was in the right place—it felt like home. I've always thought about rebuilding a car and learning to drive manual, but feeling the energy and sense of community in the car world made me realize this is where I belong. It will take a lot of effort, but I know it will be worth it. I want to pursue a career in automotive mechanics, so I can build and work on cars, but also help others learn about them. As a woman, there is not a lot of representation in the Trades, and my goal is to be able to show other young girls that it is possible because I didn't really see much of that. I want to own a shop when I'm old enough, and I want to teach and have the ability to have a space where Its welcoming to everyone and not be worried that you are getting upcharged because you are a woman or because dealerships don't think you have any knowledge and upcharge you. I think that it's unfair and deserves honest and fair prices. There really aren't enough words to fully describe how it feels to be around cars. Its more of a feeling than something you can easily explain. If I'm having a bad day, watching a car movie or just going on a night drive, it changes everything. I feel like I'm being lifted, and my whole mood changes, and I want to do a job that makes me happy and isn't about the moeny its about the atmosphere and the people.IM excited to be able to constantly build repairs and work on cars. Ive always loved fixing thing and automative mechanic allows me to do so many of the things that I enjoy. This is why I want to pursue this path and the place where I truly belong.