Hi, my name is Sophia. I am a 16-year-old High School student from Wisconsin who will graduate three semesters early and have plans to attend NWTC for Architectural Technology. I am 25% Taiwanese and very in touch with my family's culture. I come from a humble, low-income family but that has never stopped me from taking opportunities to learn and grow in school, sports, or anything else I put my heart to. My love for construction, design, and architecture stems from my mom. She is a woman of many trades but has particularly focused on the AEC industry, working in various jobs including hands-on framing and project managing. I get my hungry drive to work hard from her and will continue to make her proud by taking on the AEC industry with pride. I am always eager for more. When I found out I could take online classes at my school, I jumped on the opportunity during my sophomore year to nearly double my class load to graduate 1.5 years early. I did it to kickstart my future in doing what I love all while maintaining a GPA of 3.8. Not only am I a hard worker in the classroom, but also on the trails. I am a mountain biker and have raced and ridden some of the hardest races in America such as the Marji Gesick and Crusher EX. Though I train hard and study hard, I also make time to rest, relax, and have fun with my friends and family. I want to make a difference in this field. Only 23% of architects are female, and only 6% are Asian. I will be a minority in the field, but I hope to have a big voice for change. Sallie Rowland paved the way for females like me in the AEC industry, and I hope to follow in her footsteps. I want to empower young women, especially young women of color to join me in a male-dominated industry and break down age-old barriers. I am dedicated to working for my future, as well as making a difference in the BIPOC community and I am confident I will make a change in the world. I look forward to pursuing higher education and creating a career for myself in this line of work. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to apply for this scholarship and for your consideration of my application.