Drafting, as a career field offers endless opportunities for creativity, growth, and innovation. However, navigating this predominantly white and male industry is going to come with some obstacles as a young Asian female that I am more than ready to face. 25% of drafters are female, and only 7% are Asian, but I hope to pave the way for many more young BIPOC females like myself to have the courage to enter whatever trade they may want to pursue. With the lack of diversity and representation in drafting and other trades, there is a serious need for more voices like mine to be heard and seen. Disrespect, underrepresentation, and discrimination are all things that we have felt before, but for a child of color growing up in a predominantly white area being the only person of color in their entire elementary classes is something on a completely different level. Bullies on the playground who squint their eyes and yell "Ching Chong!" at the only Asian girl at recess still exist in the professional world, except they often exist as CEOs of companies who enforce unfair pay gaps and mistreat hard workers for their appearance or culture. Unfortunately, these people will continue to discriminate, but that is a barrier that I hope to be a small step in a large movement towards anti-discriminatory change in the trade field. Outside of school, I spend most of my time outside, as I am a mountain biker and love to be outside. I have also volunteered for many summer school camps, and have also had seasonal jobs caring for children. I currently live in the state of Wisconsin, am 15, and will hopefully be attending online college through MSCS (Minnesota State College Southeast) or TSTC (Texas State Technical College) in the spring semester of next year (2025). I started high school in September of 2022 and have taken numerous online classes to be able to graduate 3 semesters early. I am driven to start my career as soon as I can, while still enjoying the time I have as an adolescent. I have worked hard at school, taking multiple advanced placement classes as well as being ahead in most subjects. My current rounded GPA is 3.8. Although I will not have to pay for room and board, as I will be living with my mom while attending, college is still much too costly for me to pay for without aid. I do not have any FAFSA aid information back, however I estimate to receive around $5,000 in Pell Grants. I will be funding my own education, as my mother is a small business owner and does not make enough to be able to contribute as she already pays for most of my basic needs. My father's salary goes to supporting his wife and stepchildren, and will not be contributing to my education. My goal of obtaining an associate degree in drafting and design is not only a personal statement, but a statement of empowerment. Despite the challenges I may face in this field, I am determined to break through barriers and make a name for myself as a talented and skilled individual. I believe that my unique perspective as an Asian female can bring a fresh and valuable outlook to the world of drafting. Through hard work, dedication, and a strong support system who also believe in the importance of diversity and inclusion, I am confident that I can make a significant impact and pave the way for future generations of BIPOC individuals to thrive in this industry. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to apply for this scholarship as well as for your time reading my application.