At my school, every senior participates in a project called a capstone during their senior year. Students start in August at the beginning of the year and work on it throughout the school year to display their project to the entire school and community in April. Each project should aim to solve a problem or create something that can solve a problem. For my senior capstone project, my team and I decided to design an autonomous quadcopter drone to expand the uses of small drones. The combination of my engineering classes and four years of competition in VRC has provided me with a solid foundation for designing and building the drone. As the lead designer for team 67002F, I have dedicated four years to creating robots that have enabled our team to secure five regional tournament victories, culminating in our recent triumph as Nevada State VEX Champions. This role of drone building came with a unique set of challenges, and I failed many times before ultimately succeeding. The first major challenge I had to complete was to design a custom drone framed around the electronic components we were using. I had to leave enough room for airflow to keep the parts cool while keeping the overall size compact to reduce drag in the air. I created 8 prototypes over 2 months before finally landing on a design I was happy with. The next issue was the electronic component assembly on the drone. I soldered all our wires together and created custom cables for the drone. However, my part selection was poor, and I had unknowingly used underpowered motor controllers and overpowered motors. This led to a motor controller catching on fire because the motors were pulling too much power through it. After the first fire, we thought we had simply received a bad motor controller, so I simply replaced the burned controller. When the second motor controller caught on fire during testing I realized it wasn’t faulty components and instead was faulty part selection. I went back to the drawing board and poured days into researching power flow, amperage vs voltage requirements, and looking for new parts. I found new motors that drew less power on average and higher-powered controllers that could handle much more electrical flow. After installing these new motors and motor controllers, the drone flew great. The motors did not draw too much power for the controllers, and the power flowing through our parts was well below the maximum. This is where our drone stands today, it is fully flight capable and able to run autonomous missions up to 4,000 meters away from its starting position. This project is important because of the huge range of versatility a small autonomous drone displays. They can be used in things like agriculture to survey large crop fields or in disaster rescue to help find lost people quickly. Small drones, such as ours, possess significant potential. The development of this drone was a journey filled with both passion and frustration. While navigating the challenges was demanding, witnessing the drone take flight was incredibly rewarding. I plan on pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering with a minor in UAV’s. My goal is to develop larger projects that will have a more positive impact on more individuals. By working for a company that has a wide variety of resources and capabilities I will be able to collaborate with others to drive meaningful change in the future.

In 5th grade, when we were learning about careers, I chose to explore engineering because I knew my grandpa was an engineer. Now, seven years later, I have refined my interests in engineering and set specific goals for myself. I am majoring in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Unmanned Autonomous Systems at the University of Nevada, Reno. After college, I aim to work for a defense contracting company to help develop the aircraft of tomorrow and contribute to cutting-edge technology in aviation. To achieve this goal, I have taken several proactive steps along the way. One significant step is my heavy involvement in the robotics program at my school. I am the captain of the VEX robotics team 67002F, where I serve as the lead builder and designer. My robots have won three regional competitions and reached the finals in two others. Throughout my four years in high school, I have become a prominent member of the VEX program and have started mentoring younger teams, helping them build their robots, strategize, and troubleshoot issues. In addition to VEX, I am also a member of the FIRST Robotics team 8022, which competed on the world stage in 2021. As a lead designer on this team, I was placed in charge of a group responsible for designing our robot's intake system in 2023. The summer before my senior year, I was offered an internship at a local hardware and software integration company called Rapid Expeditionary Concepts (REC). During this internship, I perform mechanical and electrical engineering tasks, including custom part fabrication, avionics integration, and testing using both software programs and fabricated components. This experience has provided me with a taste of what it is like to work as an engineer and has strengthened my determination to pursue this career. I have also initiated my engineering projects to further my goal. At my school, all seniors participate in a capstone project that lasts the entire year, culminating in a presentation at the end. For my project, I designed a custom, fully autonomous quadcopter drone to test innovative acoustic signature reduction propellers. These propellers, which I designed and fabricated, are intended to effectively reduce noise generated by propellers and increase the operational range of drones. Overall, I am setting my sights high and plan to become a lead innovator in the aviation industry. I am preparing for success through active participation and leadership in robotics, interning under and learning from industry professionals, and creating my engineering projects to better understand the design process and improve my ability to create parts and systems. One of my most fulfilling volunteer experiences occurred during the summer before my junior year of high school when my friend and I coached my little sister's middle school volleyball team. The girls had little to no experience with the sport. Interestingly, I had never played volleyball myself. Fortunately, my co-coach had years of experience and guided me in teaching essential skills like hitting and passing. In addition to coaching, I have volunteered in various other capacities, such as helping my mom at the snack shack during softball season, where I spent time making burgers and hot dogs. I’ve also assisted in cleaning up after mountain bike races for the team I ride for the Vegas Vipers. And, helping out with various activities through the National Honor Society. Balancing these volunteer efforts with two part-time jobs, robotics team commitments, and rigorous Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes has been challenging but I do think it is important to give back to the community.

Aeronautics has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. My interest began in childhood, whether I was flying on airplanes or listening to my grandpa's stories about his time in the Navy. This passion persisted throughout my life, but it truly blossomed during the summer before my senior year of high school. A pivotal moment was landing an internship at a company called REC, a hardware and software integration firm. This opportunity allowed me to engage in mechanical and electrical engineering work and integrate avionics systems. The internship also provided invaluable experience and insight into what it is truly like to work in this exciting field, and I have loved every moment of it. I was even offered a part-time job while finishing school only after a month of interning. This reinforced my passion for aeronautics but also motivated me to embark on personal aviation projects. At my school, every senior creates a capstone project that reflects their learning throughout high school. For my project, I chose to create an autonomous quadcopter drone with a range of over 4000 meters and a payload capacity of 1.1 pounds. This project significantly enhanced my knowledge of flight and drones, and inspired me to continue creating innovative designs like this in my professional career. Working on my drone was immensely fulfilling, and I look forward to going to work every day, driven by the desire to push the boundaries of what is possible in aeronautics. Throughout high school, I have balanced honors, advanced placement, and dual enrollment classes while working a part-time job since my sophomore year. In my senior year, I took on a second job to save for college expenses. Despite these commitments, I remained actively involved in my school's robotics team for four years, competing in numerous competitions and honing my engineering and design skills. Additionally, I have been a dedicated member of a local mountain bike racing team called the Las Vegas Vipers for over five years, all while maintaining A's throughout high school. These experiences have taught me essential time management skills and the importance of making sound financial decisions to minimize future debt. The AP and dual enrollment classes I took allowed me to earn college credit, further reducing my overall college costs. However, while I have been diligently saving for college, the rising costs of higher education present a financial challenge for my family. My parents, both public school teachers, have worked tirelessly but the financial strain has only intensified as college expenses continue to escalate. Compounding this challenge, my dad was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) over 20 years ago. This progressive disease poses not only health challenges but also financial burdens on our family. I also have a 15-year-old sister who will be heading to college in just a few years, which will further strain my parents' finances. I recognize that my parents have tried to plan for the increasing costs associated with the unpredictability of MS and for my sister's future education. However, it is likely that their efforts may fall short, and I am committed to doing all I can to alleviate their financial burden and graduate without huge amounts of debt. In conclusion, my journey through high school has been marked by a deepening passion for aeronautics, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to overcoming challenges. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead in college, where I hope to expand my knowledge and skills in this fascinating field while supporting my family as best as I can.

My fascination with aviation and aeronautics began at a young age, thanks to my grandfather. He was deeply interested in military aircraft and shared countless books and stories from his time serving in the U.S. Navy. While I maintained a mild interest in military planes throughout my childhood, my enthusiasm truly soared (no pun intended) after my junior year of high school. That summer, I was fortunate enough to land an internship at a company called REC, which specializes in hardware and software integration. This internship is proving to be an amazing experience, allowing me to immerse myself in the intricacies of advanced technology and helped grow my interest in aeronautics - it's certainly a large factor in helping to cement my future career choice. I'm currently studying for my Part 107 license so I can take my expertise even further. Even after spending 7 hours at school, I can't wait for my day to end so I can head to the internship and keep learning. As a senior at Northwest Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, I am currently enrolled in the engineering program as well as belonging to our school's robotics team for 4 years. A crucial component of our curriculum is the capstone project, which serves as the culmination of four years' worth of lessons and skills. For this project, I am utilizing the knowledge and experience I've gained through my internship and my 4 years of building robots for VEX and FRC competitions, in which my team has competed in numerous competitions, by designing and constructing an advanced autonomous aerial vehicle. This role came with a unique set of challenges and I failed many times before ultimately succeeding. I created 8 prototypes over 2 months before finally landing on a design I was happy with. The next issue was the electronic component assembly on the drone. I soldered all our wires together and created custom cables for the drone. However, my part selection was poor and I had unknowingly used under powered motor controllers and over powered motors. This led to a motor controller catching on fire because the motors were pulling too much power through them. After the first fire, we thought we had simply received a bad motor controller and so I simply replaced the burned controller. When the second motor controller caught on fire during testing I realized it wasn’t faulty components and instead was faulty part selection. So I went back to the drawing board and poured days into researching power flow, amperage vs voltage requirements, and looked for new parts. I found new motors which drew less power on average and higher powered controllers that could handle much more electrical flow. After installing these new motors and motor controllers the drone flew great, our motors did not draw too much power for the controllers and the power flowing through our parts was well below the maximum. This is where our drone stands today, fully flight capable and able to run autonomous missions up to 4,000 meters away from its starting position. This endeavor has been a labor of love and has only solidified my conviction that a career in the drone industry is my true calling.

My fascination with aviation and aeronautics began at a young age, thanks to my grandfather. He was deeply interested in military aircraft and shared countless books and stories from his time serving in the U.S. Navy. While I maintained a mild interest in military planes throughout my childhood, my enthusiasm truly soared (no pun intended) after my junior year of high school. This summer, I was fortunate enough to land an internship at a company which specializes in hardware and software integration. This internship is proving to be an amazing experience, allowing me to immerse myself in the intricacies of advanced technology and helped grow my interest in aeronautics - it's certainly a large factor in helping to cement my future career choice. I'm currently studying for my Part 107 license so I can take my expertise even further. Even after spending 7 hours at school, I can't wait for my day to end so I can head to the internship and keep learning. As a senior at Northwest Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada, I am currently enrolled in the engineering program and belong to our school's robotics team for 4 years. A crucial component of our curriculum is the capstone project, which culminates four years' worth of lessons and skills. For this project, I am utilizing the knowledge and experience I've gained through my internship and my 4 years of building robots for VEX and FRC competitions, in which my team has competed in numerous competitions, by designing and constructing an advanced autonomous aerial vehicle. This role came with a unique set of challenges and I failed many times before ultimately succeeding. I created 8 prototypes over 2 months before finally landing on a design I was happy with. The next issue was the electronic component assembly on the drone. I soldered all our wires together and created custom cables for the drone. However, my part selection was poor and I had unknowingly used underpowered motor controllers and overpowered motors. This led to a motor controller catching on fire because the motors were pulling too much power through them. After the first fire, we thought we had simply received a bad motor controller and so I simply replaced the burned controller. When the second motor controller caught on fire during testing I realized it wasn’t faulty components and instead was faulty part selection. So I went back to the drawing board and poured days into researching power flow, amperage vs voltage requirements, and looked for new parts. I found new motors which drew less power on average and higher powered controllers that could handle much more electrical flow. After installing these new motors and motor controllers the drone flew great, our motors did not draw too much power for the controllers and the power flowing through our parts was well below the maximum. This is where our drone stands today, fully flight capable and able to run autonomous missions up to 4,000 meters away from its starting position. This endeavor has been a labor of love and has only solidified my conviction that a career in the drone industry is my true calling.