During the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when everything from schools to churches to local hangouts went quiet, something unexpected opened my eyes to what I truly value. I started noticing how deeply isolated the older folks in my neighborhood had become—many of them weren’t just cut off from social events, they couldn’t even call their grandkids or book a doctor’s appointment online because they didn’t know how to use the tech. I didn’t plan on becoming their go-to tech support, but that’s exactly what happened. Week after week, I’d stop by to help them with things like setting up Zoom, figuring out their smartphones, or getting telehealth apps to work. At first, I thought I was just fixing Wi-Fi issues or explaining buttons. But somewhere along the way, those visits became more than that. I started realizing I might be the only person they’d talk to face-to-face all week. We’d chat about their lives, about the news, or nothing in particular—and that mattered. It taught me how powerful small, consistent acts of service can be. What felt like a simple favor on my end turned into something that really made a difference in someone else’s day, maybe even their week. That shift in perspective began to bleed into other parts of my life, especially when it came to learning. As I dove deeper into engineering—through both classes and hands-on tinkering—I started thinking less about how cool a gadget was and more about who it could help. That’s what sparked my idea to build a wearable haptic feedback device. Using Arduino and ultrasonic sensors, I put together a basic prototype that helps blind or visually impaired people navigate by sending vibrations when obstacles are near. No need for a cane—just a subtle buzz to guide them through space. It wasn’t fancy, and it definitely wasn’t perfect. But it meant something. It reminded me that engineering is ultimately about people, not just parts or code. That realization has stayed with me, grounding my choice to study electrical engineering at the University of Utah. More than that, it’s shaped my long-term vision: I want to build a career focused on technology that makes life better—especially for those who often get left out of the conversation. Service, to me, isn’t just a value; it’s a direction. It’s a promise I carry forward, inspired by people like Judy Fowler, who believed in lifting others as a way of life.