In second grade, I discovered the joy of creation through complexity. After entering (and losing) a Rube Goldberg machine contest, I was hooked. I would spend hours in my playroom, building elaborate chains of LEGOs, Barbies, and board game pieces. Laying the foundations, these sequences taught me the basics in simple machines, physics, and uncertainty, with each machine requiring meticulous adjustments and infinite trial and error. Throughout my life, I’ve noticed the broad applications of these skills everywhere I look. I discovered entertainment engineering through the Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade. The engineers at Macy’s Studios spend all year designing, prototyping, and constructing the balloons and floats for the big day. In STEM class, I explored electrical and mechanical engineering by designing and modeling my own satellite. Last summer, I attended an aerospace engineering program and was fascinated by how engineers could defy gravity, transporting people around the globe and furthering humanity’s reaches into outer space. Through my internship with a local civil engineer, I witnessed the applications of engineering to construction, as I supported a renovation project of municipal buildings. My summer internship shed new light on the lesser-known challenges that female engineers face in the male-dominated field. It’s not just about clothes but all the barriers that women encounter and overcome daily, from less opportunity all the way to microaggressions in the workplace. Lack of representation can lead to a lack of sense of belonging, intimidating aspiring engineers. However, my mentor, a female construction engineer working with mostly men, demonstrated what can happen when organizations embrace diversity and gender equality. I witnessed her commanding presence and the respect from her colleagues that she so clearly earned. Returning to school this fall, I had a new desire to make a difference. I joined the executive board of our Society of Women Engineers (SWE), organizing activities and STEM lessons to foster an engaged and enthusiastic community. I brought in my mentor as a speaker, starting a series of speakers who shared their experience as women in engineering. This spring, we are planning a field trip to my mentor’s worksite to show SWE members the daily responsibilities of an engineer. Leading within SWE and working with my mentor has shown me how powerful representation can be for minorities. In college, I plan to continue my involvement with SWE, participating in mentoring and workshops. I'd like to bring in speakers to speak to college chapters of SWE, building a network of female engineers that students would feel comfortable reaching out to with questions and guidance. As I transition into university and beyond, I will continue to be a role model and advocate for women in engineering, helping women feel accepted in this field.

In second grade, I discovered the joy of creation through complexity. After entering (and losing) a Rube Goldberg machine contest, I was hooked. I would spend hours in my playroom, building elaborate chains of LEGOs, Barbies, and board game pieces. Laying the foundations, these sequences taught me the basics of simple machines, physics, and uncertainty, with each machine requiring meticulous adjustments and infinite trial and error. Throughout my life, I’ve noticed the broad applications of these skills everywhere I look, especially within the field of engineering. I am an engineer at heart. From those days of tinkering at 7 years old to grappling with challenge questions in the physics classroom, every challenge I’m thrown is a chance to learn something new and gain experience. In college, I want to bring the childlike wonder I experienced in 2nd grade to the classroom, building not only my math and science skills but skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. To do this, I’ll pursue interdisciplinary courses and opportunities in the humanities along with my engineering courses. While I’m not completely sure about where I’ll end up after college, I do know that I’ll bring creativity and an open mind to whatever I may encounter. Whether I’m working on a construction site as a senior project engineer (like my mentor this past summer) or designing and building floats and balloons for the Macy’s Parade (my dream job), I’ll speak with knowledge, experience, and the creativity of a 2nd grader making Rube Goldberg Machines. As a high school student with big dreams and aspirations, this scholarship would be a significant step in my journey through my post-secondary education and beyond. In college, I hope to pursue a degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering, and the money from this scholarship could majorly assist in my journey to become a successful professional. This scholarship money could go towards covering textbooks, paying for meal swipes, or chipping away at tuition. Every penny that goes towards my education is important and deeply appreciated. Besides this scholarship’s financial assistance, it represents the support of women and equal rights. I am proudly a woman of color in STEM, pursuing a career in a historically male dominated field. Last year, female engineers represented less than 14% of the field. The support I could receive from this scholarship would help me break down barriers for equality in STEM and beyond. Moreover, the financial relief would allow me to be more involved in activities. For me, having to work less through college would mean participation in extracurriculars such as rocketry clubs, workshops, and women empowerment groups, providing me opportunities to network and potentially providing a smooth transition into the industry after graduation. This award would mean so much not just to me, but to this whole generation of aspiring female engineers. I am determined to leverage any and all support I may receive to advocate for and inspire as many up and coming women in STEM to contribute meaningfully to this important field.

I needed construction jeans. Walking into Tractor Supply Co. after visiting three other stores, I was relieved to find a wall of jeans of multiple styles and sizes. But as I searched, my spirits fell. There was only one shelf for women compared to over ten for men, and the lowest available size was at least two sizes too big. My summer internship shed new light on the lesser-known challenges that female engineers face in the male-dominated field. It’s not just about clothes but all the barriers that women encounter and overcome daily, from less opportunity all the way to microaggressions in the workplace. Lack of representation can lead to a lack of sense of belonging, intimidating aspiring engineers. However, my mentor, a female construction engineer working with mostly men, demonstrated what can happen when organizations embrace diversity and gender equality. I witnessed her commanding presence and the respect from her colleagues that she so clearly earned. Returning to school this fall, I had a new desire to make a difference. I joined the executive board of our Society of Women Engineers (SWE), organizing activities and STEM lessons to foster an engaged and enthusiastic community. I brought in my mentor as a speaker, starting a series of speakers who shared their experience as women in engineering. This spring, we are planning a field trip to my mentor’s worksite to show SWE members the daily responsibilities of an engineer. Leading within SWE and working with my mentor has shown me how powerful representation can be for minorities. In college, I plan to continue my involvement with SWE, participating in mentoring and workshops. I'd like to bring in speakers to speak to college chapters of SWE, building a network of female engineers that students would feel comfortable reaching out to with questions and guidance. As I transition into university and beyond, I will continue to be a role model and advocate for women in engineering, helping women feel accepted in this field.

The 1989 era was one of transition. In the early 2010s, Taylor Swift went through a metamorphosis in her music style. Starting as a country-girl caterpillar, Taylor emerged a blonde, brazen, beat-dropping butterfly. Track 1, Welcome to New York, launches the listener into an expressive album laced with new sounds and themes of self-discovery. Just as a curious teenage girl might explore the streets and sights of NYC, Taylor Swift dove headfirst into the genre of pop, experimenting with new instruments and sounds. For me, this song represents newfound freedom and self-discovery, both key threads in my journey this past year. 2023 brought more travel than ever in the past few years due to the long-awaited end of the pandemic. As I was hiking, sightseeing, skiing, and swimming, I learned so much about myself and what I will need to make the most daunting transition in my foreseeable future: highschool to college. Post-secondary education is my “New York.” What better song to describe my preparation for the biggest change in my life than the introduction to the biggest change to date in Taylor Swift’s music career? My travels this past year have been completely eye-opening. Each trip taught me what I found important. In January, my friends and I took our yearly skiing vacation. However, this year rather than being confined to the icy and bare slopes of the east coast, we flew to Breckenridge, Colorado. For four days, I lived the dream: skiing powdery peaks at high elevations and walking through the winter wonderland of downtown with my closest friends. I discovered the value of being close to people I love and spending time doing things I love. This spring break, my family drove down to Tampa, Florida for a week I will never forget. Full of sandy beaches and salty waves, the vacation ended with a magical night at the one and only Eras Tour. Added to the collage of my personality are concerts, music, and the beach, which are fundamental to who I am. These new experiences helped not only to make lasting memories, but to build my self-image as I begin the next chapter of my life. With senior year looming, college visits have worked their way into my excursions. While visiting family in the historic town of Plymouth Massachusetts, my parents whisked me away one morning to Cambridge to tour MIT. Even though it was summer, “walking through the crowd, the village” was “aglow.” Students partaking in internships and research projects made the campus feel alive. I could picture myself living, working, and thriving in such an environment. Between this tour and trips to other schools such as UVA and Virginia Tech, thoughts swarmed around my head about the independence I’ll need and the freedom I’ll have after the transition to university. Even though college tends to “keep you guessing,” I believe that my recent campus visits have prepared me for any uncertainty. The recurring themes of self-discovery and independence weaved throughout both Taylor Swift’s pop breakout album and my breakout year are best described in the upbeat and beautifully symbolic song Welcome to New York. The experiences I have endured this past year not only prepare me for my own welcome to New York this coming spring break, but also for post-secondary education. I can’t wait to see what the city and college have in store for me. Rather than overwhelming, those looming years should serve as empowering reminders of my potential. I know my future is bright, but those lights will “never blind me.”

@sophia_phaneuf_

I’ve never experienced love. As a junior in high school, being single is often seen as a bad thing. While people are becoming more accepting of the single lifestyle these days, it’s hard not to feel like an outlier when all of your friends are talking about boys and dating. I’ve had my fair share of crushes, some more intense than others, but, from what I gather, it’s nowhere near the same thing as being head over heels in love with someone. My favorite song on Taylor’s 1989 album is “You Are in Love” off the deluxe version. I chose “You Are in Love” because of its second-person perspective and imagery in the lyrics. In the song, Taylor writes from the second person, referring to the main character as “you.” This allows me, the listener, to feel real, raw love. It’s as if the song is placing me inside itself to experience the ups and downs, highs and lows, and wild rollercoaster of a meant-to-be relationship. This is all done through stunning imagery woven into the lyrics. The first verse references small details in a scene where two people meet and instantly fall for each other. “Buttons on a coat” and “the light reflects/the chain on your neck” are my favorite lines from the first verse. That first night is further explained, as the artist writes of a late-night drive where two souls connect on such a level that one touch is enough to convince her that she is in love. While the lyrics of the chorus are more repetitive than the verse, they still reflect the relationship in such a beautiful way by juxtaposing two opposite ideas. Swift sings “you can hear it in the silence” and “you can see it with the lights out” to show how multidimensional relationships are. True love isn’t something you hear or see. It’s something you feel. These lyrics were the perfect way to help me empathize with the song. In the second verse, we transition back into the real world, as the lyrics sing about the relationship further down the road. This part means so much to me. I have based my standards for a relationship on this verse. The line that resonates the most is “pauses then says/you’re my best friend/and you knew what it was/he is in love.” I want to marry my best friend. I want someone I can make pillow forts, bake cupcakes, shoot Nerf guns, and play volleyball with. To me, the qualities of a best friend are also very important in a romantic partner, and the lyrics of this part of the song reflect that perfectly. As the queen of bridges, Taylor does not disappoint here. She describes how the main character feels love so strongly that she understands why “I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words.” This line holds the only first-person pronoun of the song. It talks about how the author (Taylor Swift) has tried relentlessly to explain what true love is. I think this is so powerful because it encapsulates the entire song in just eleven words. This song is Taylor’s depiction of love and all its corresponding emotions. After tying it all together with another chorus, one can deeply understand and relate to the story of this song and why I think “You Are in Love” is the best song on 1989 Deluxe. It has incredible lyrics and a significant meaning that helps me escape real life and feel what I can only imagine: true, true love.