My name is Riley. I am the youngest of five boys and grew up in a family of seven. I'm from North Carolina, and ever since I was in the second grade, I've wanted to study engineering at NC State. Though my interest in robots was the reason I initially came up with this goal, now my focus is more on the aeronautical side of engineering. I've had this goal my entire life, and I've worked hard to reach it by receiveing As in advanced placement, honors, and accelerated math and science classes. I've also been committed to learning more about this objective outside of the classroom. The neighborhood where I was raised has been wonderful and hospitable. I like returning the favor to the community by volunteering at church events and working for our town recreation department. In the sixth grade, I started playing golf. My grandad sparked this passion and provided me with an opportunity to spend time with him. Over time, this fascination developed into something I did not only with my grandad but also with my brothers and, more recently, friends. Although I had knee surgery in the eighth grade, which kept me out of the sport for more than a year until I healed, I recently learned about Youth On Course, a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide youth with inexpensive golf opportunities, and as a result, I've been playing the game more frequently and enjoying it more thoroughly than ever before. I'm able to spend more time and get closer to my friends and family almost every day. Now I'm playing on my high school varsity golf team, pursuing my love for the game.

Why I Love Math My draw to math started very young, all the way back to when I was starting school in 1st and 2nd grade. I believe that math appealed to me at first because I was good at it. It made sense to me. Unlike subjects like English, where I would have spent hours of thinking, writing, and rewriting, I didn't have to do that with math; it just made sense, and after one simple lesson I could cruise through problems. As I got older, this love for math never seemed to die off. I just wanted to continue in my learning of the subject and continue into more and more difficult topics of math. I wanted to continue challenging myself and learning. Whenever I got home from school in elementary school, I would sit down at the dining room table with my mom and continue to progress into more difficult topics of math. Now I am a sophomore in high school, and I continue to love the subject, not just because I'm good at it but because it's rewarding and enjoyable.. I am currently a member of our school math club and have competed in multiple competitions. Right now I'm enrolled in AP Precalculus, and it's without a doubt my favorite part of the day that I look forward to each morning. I intend to study AP Calculus and AP Statistics next semester before transferring to the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics for my junior and senior years of high school to further my knowledge of the topic. I have a strong desire to work in mathematics and hope to do so by applying my problem-solving abilities to the workplace eventually. Right now, the goal is to graduate from NC State with a degree in aerospace engineering.