I will never forget my first STEM related class I took my first semester of higher education, I walked in the door and I was one of five women out of 50+ men in the class. Honestly I was terrified. However, had I not been faced with the challenges I have been presented with, I would not be where I am today. My interest in pursuing my degree in STEM was encouraged by my father who introduced me to the field of Architectural Design. To me, this field that has been dominated by men for so long needs some strong females to encourage the younger generation of females that it's not just men that go into the STEM field and that they have just as much ability to do so as well. The Architecture/Construction field has been so strongly dominated by men that when a woman enters that field they are looked at with a form of misogyny and are treated profoundly different than their male peers. I have plenty of first hand experience with the level of treatment between males and females from professors, fellow peers, and even individuals outside of the field. However, had I not been treated with such disrespect, I wouldn't be as outspoken and confident as I am today. At the start of my higher education journey, I was a very quiet student who sat in the back of the class, completed their work in a timely manner, never spoke unless spoken to, and was overall self-conscious. Even though the way I gained my confidence wasn't ideal, I now am able to speak up in class, propose ideas in group settings, and mostly talk with more confidence towards my professors, fellow peers, and even people outside of my field of study. What I hope to accomplish through the pursuit of my degree is to remove the stereotypes around the STEM field and to encourage anyone that they are just as capable of pursing any degree they desire. I also hope to create an environment where people are able to gain their confidence through encouragement as opposed to through discouragement like I had to. Had I had the type of encouragement and environment I strive to achieve in this field when I started, I would have started gaining my confidence so much sooner and in a much healthier way. Lastly, I hope to encourage anyone, even if they aren't in the STEM field, to chase their dreams. Had I not chased mine I wouldn't be graduating early, working for a local firm where I enjoy and look forward to working everyday, and looking into my post-graduation career with this firm and possibly more in the future.

In the 19 years I've been alive, I have faced countless challenges that range from moving schools and finding new friends, to going to school full time during a global pandemic. However, one of the most challenging hardship I've faced was being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at the age of 14. This diagnoses started me on a 5 year path to remission which included taking daily medications and the trial and error of 5 subcutaneous and IV injected medications. While I was on that path, I still had to continue with my academic and social life as much as I could. I was very thankful for my high school for having accommodations for me if I wasn't able to attend class or needed extra time on tests, but the hardest part was when I wasn't able to physically attend school anymore and had to switch over to home-hospital part of my junior year and my entire senior year of High school. This not only took a toll on me physically, but also mentally. I went through middle and high school with a large set of friends, but when I couldn't attend school anymore it was like I disappeared and no one asked where I was. I was very thankful but also disappointed I had lost that many friends that fast. I did have a few good friends that stuck around and made sure I got school work I needed and would come spend time with me. There were also many physical obstacles I had to face on a daily basis. It was a struggle to do simple tasks such as walking down the stairs, or even sitting up out of bed in the mornings. Thankfully I had an amazing support system within my family and they would help me every opportunity they could. Getting through that year was the most difficult thing I've ever done, but I got through it and worked with my doctor to find a medication that works! One major thing that got me through the hard times was planning and dreaming of going to college at Murray State University in the fall. For a long time it didn't look like I was going to be able to go to college 4 hours away which was very heartbreaking. But I worked on getting stronger and pushing myself so I could accomplish my dreams. I have had some bad days while being in Murray, but I now have a great support system with my staff and great friends I've made in my major. That hardship will always stay with me and encourage me that even when I think nothing can go right or I'm not doing well physically. I can always get through the rough patches if I believe in myself and have a solid support system to help me through. It will keep me motivated to always be the best I can be and set goals in life to push my limits because I know I'm capable of more than I think.