Throughout elementary school, I tried a variety of extracurricular activities during the school year. I did drama, ballet, tennis, Girl Scouts, swimming, piano, gymnastics, art, and more. None of them stuck. Most summers, I took science and technology-based camps. Those didn’t stick either. I felt lost until I took a Maker, Design, and Engineering (MDE) class. In eighth grade, I took my first MDE class because one of my friends had begged me to join her. What truly caught my attention was the woodshop in the adjacent room. I was fascinated by all the tools and machines. And so, at the end of the class, I asked my teacher if I could make a wooden spoon in the shop, and he said yes. I would work on my spoon during my free period. From that project alone, I was exposed to a variety of different tools, and enjoyed working on my spoon so much that I made another one. From there, I couldn’t stop myself. Soon, I made pens and keychains as well. The project revealed an emotion I’d never had for anything else before: passion. In 9th grade, I took another MDE class. I learned how to do 3D modeling, 3D printing, and laser cutting. I began using class assignments as reasons to build something or learn a new tool: a wooden skull for Spanish, a laser-cut wheel for humanities, and a 3D printed pool for math. Despite all these projects, I didn’t even make the connection that I was doing engineering. It wasn’t until I was telling my mom about one of my projects and she said, “That’s engineering, you know that, right?” From there, I researched the field, joined engineering organizations, and watched engineering videos. I even started my own online class where I teach other students globally how to 3D model. My projects became increasingly intricate, highlighting my new skills in diverse ways, sometimes even allowing me to win awards from prestigious societies, such as Society of Women Engineers. Engineering did not make me creative; it allowed my creativity to flourish. In the future, I plan to go to college and study mechanical engineering. With this scholarship, I can further my education and learn more about engineering. I plan to continue teaching my online 3D modeling class, adding new skills to the curriculum as I learn more, allowing me to teach others about the impactful and creative field of engineering.