From a young age, I've always found myself intrigued with many things. I would pick up a hobby and create something memorable from it, then transition to something new. It is a phase of mine that allows me to experience new things to determine what I like and dislike. I enjoy trying new things because it's like opening a door and anticipating what you will find on the opposite side. In 2016 I was watching Brazil versus Germany at the Rio Olympics in my living room. I saw a man on Brazil's team that I was very interested in -and after he scored the winning goal for his team and won Brazil's first Olympic gold medal for soccer -I couldn't help but investigate this man a bit further. I found that his name was Neymar and that he spoke Portuguese. I began learning Portuguese in hopes that I would meet him one day and be able to communicate with him in his native tongue. Although I am not fluent in Portuguese, I did learn a lot from pursuing this language, including its similarity to Spanish. While on my linguistic journey, I also took on French, Indonesian, Italian and, American Sign Language. I learned ASL through a dual credit course at my school and gained much knowledge about the deaf community. However, my ambition did not end here as I was encouraged to continue pursuing new ideas, cultures, and concepts. Science has always been an interest of mine growing up. I often found myself in awe while looking up at the stars and imagining another species doing the same on a distant planet. After participating in NASA's Space Center University program, I realized that I truly have a passion for space and celestial bodies, including Earth. I won third place in rocket building while in the program, and I have my conscience to thank for this as I threatened myself that I better walk away with an award, or else I wasn't good enough to even be in the program. Although it may sound harsh to those on the outside, this is my way of motivating myself to succeed, especially in competitive environments. Being the only African American female in the class also inspired my ambition to win at least one award. Not only did I gain valuable experience from this opportunity, but I also had the chance to broaden my understanding of the possible careers at NASA. My ultimate goal in life is to positively impact the world of science, even if that impact is minor. I wish to be among the exceptional African American scientists and engineers that work on the NASA team. I want to assist in future missions to Mars and pursue global environmental sustainability to help make the planet a healthier place. But to achieve these goals, I must first expand my knowledge about the career I plan to pursue. To do this, I will continue to educate myself on environmentalism and engineering. Various online resources teach these topics free of charge, including EdX, a platform that I am currently using to pursue multiple certificates for engineering and sciences. These certificates created by college professors worldwide, paired with a college education, will prepare me for my future career and will serve as a stepping stone toward my dream of joining the NASA workforce.

Recently my internet connection went down, and it was then that I realized how much I -as well as others- relied on technology and the internet. As my mother and I drove around various locations -including her job, trying to find a stable connection- we joked about our situation and how comical it seemed. I spent the day attending my online classes in my mother's office, as well as inside of the car in front of a movie theater siphoning a decent wifi connection. During our quest to find an unsecured wifi server, I couldn't help but wish I had a portable wifi box -something that would serve as a compact device that radiated some type of internet connection that I could access from my laptop. Society is increasingly demanding new technological advancements to help make life more efficient. As more brick and mortar businesses begin to close their doors due to lack of attraction, online businesses are thriving. With this growth, we are also seeing new methods of going about our everyday life. For example, most actions nowadays can be carried out digitally, including purchasing groceries and having them delivered to your home or attending classes and meetings virtually. In a post-pandemic world, people will be faced with two options; adapt or be left behind. While technology continues to excel at a rapid pace, it is also replacing many human jobs. For this reason, it is crucial to engage in STEM occupations due to the increasing growth. STEM can be found in practically everything we do, therefore it is beneficial to be knowledgeable in at least one category of STEM. With that being said, even minor improvements such as portable wifi devices have the power to dramatically change the world -as most of us rely on it to carry out basic actions, such as going to class. Additionally, women in STEM would increase diversity and inclusion in the workforce, allowing for more creativity to spur, ultimately leading to greater developments and innovations.

Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed with the burdens of reality as I try to look for a way out. A wormhole through which I can sneak into and find myself in a glorious, fictional world where reality is what I make of it. Although this may only be a temporary fix to my exhausting days, I find movies to be a haven in a sense. A place in which I can escape and seek peace in a world of chaos. I have acquired a list of movies in which I consider to be classics, including gems from the early 2000s, such as Coraline, Wall-e, Corpse Bride, Monster House, and many more. But overall, I'd say my all-time favorite movie would be Ratatouille. A movie is indeed special when you can recite numerous quotes as if you are reading from a script, or when you can describe a specific scene in explicit detail. The iconic scene in which Remy is attempting to salvage the soup that Linguini had ruined is one of my favorites throughout the movie, as it drowns out all of the background distractions and focuses on Remy as he engages in his true passion. This movie is among my most favored simply because of the quality and authenticity that it holds. From the rich expression in the character's voices to the vivid graphic detail that entices the viewer, Ratatouille is truly a fine example of a movie never ages. The beautiful French soundtrack adds just the right touch throughout the movie and increases the sense of pleasure and serenity within the audience. Ratatouille is my go-to movie when I need to relax and take a detour back to my childhood. It's a film that never loses its value; combining graphic and auditory elements to create a harmonious production.

I was able to code a robot at Space Center University in Houston, Texas. Although it was my first time, I felt pretty proud that I could make the robot move from one destination to the next, even though the execution was not perfect. While coding may not be my forte, I was still pleased with the outcome of seeing my hard work come to life. It was also nice to learn from my mistakes and improve them so the robot could properly perform its actions.

I directed my telescope at the sky and looked through the lens into the cloudless, dark landscape. I saw the moon in all its glory, covered in light gray craters shining down on Earth. I was in absolute awe. I stayed in a hotel about five minutes from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, as I was participating in the Space Center University program that they offered there. Although the day had been long enough, the anticipation of what I would learn at my next class kept me awake and energized. As I was lying in bed reading a book about parallel universes by Brian Greene, I was motivated to take my telescope outside to the balcony. While I have seen countless images of the moon before, it was still amazing to see it again, but this time it was as if I had discovered something new. I am passionate about science because similar to my moon experience it leads to a more in-depth discovery and understanding of what I know and what I don't know. Pursuing a career in science is like getting a new car in many ways. For example, with a career a science I will be able to explore new pathways and roads that have not yet been discovered, and I will have the opportunity to customize my experience as well, similar to how you would a car. Education in a field such as geology or astronomy will be the wheels of my car, and the further I extend my knowledge, the faster I will be able to travel. Also, by storing aerospace engineering or another form of engineering in the trunk of my car, I will be better prepared to take on the challenges of possibly sending humans and other resources to Mars. In summary, I am inspired to engage in STEM studies because I know that the information I retain will be more than enough to make a positive impact on not only myself but also the world and the people around me.