To be a participant in what is arguably humanity's greatest accomplishment—the exploration of our universe—has been a dream of mine since childhood. As a child, I built models of rocket ships from Lego, dreaming of the possibilities. At the time I may have seen myself as the yellow plastic man in the ship, but I now know I was developing my first engineering skills—finding the combination of bricks to build a creation that wouldn't end in a pile of rubble. As a young adult now, I aspire to be a part of the great legacy of exploration and discovery. My professional career goal is to join NASA, JPL, Boeing, SpaceX or one of the great private organizations that is writing the next chapters of exploration and expansion. Just like those who built the planes of Amelia Earhart or the Voyager spacecraft, I want my engineering skills to be a part of the exploration of our world and universe. I read the story of Ms. Cummings, and find it yet another point of inspiration - behind every flight she made, was an aerospace engineer. My first real steps toward this goal began in high school as I took advanced classes in science and engineering and was fortunate to be a member and eventual leader of our robotics club. While I loved my studies and activities, it meant a lot of very late nights, as I also provided basic needs care to my medically disabled mother. But with discipline and good fortune, I made my way to Cal Poly as an Aerospace major. I started my college journey early, attending summer classes preceding my fall freshman quarter, thanks to a generous scholarship opportunity. These classes, in combination with other pre-existing academic credits, allowed me to enter my freshman year with advanced standing and honors status. In addition to the classes I take, Cal Poly students are well known for having the opportunity to enhance learning by participating in research opportunities and internships as early as their freshman summer. I have just begun exploring these opportunities and am hopeful that one will be realized. I am also reaching out with academic clubs – I am a new member of the Cal Poly Space Systems club. I have been fortunate to put my 3D modeling and printing skills to use for some sub-components, using tools such as SolidWorks. I am also looking forward to joining the PolySat club in the future, which is world-renowned for developing and executing the CubeSat concept. And finally, I am waiting a turn to take a flight with the aviation club, to see if I might want to pursue that. Part of my collegiate experience is to give back. This means volunteering as a mentor for my former FIRST robotics team. I personally visit when I have extended breaks and weekends. While at school, I work with them remotely, assisting them in evaluating designs, providing remote training and assistance with CAD. Due to my mother's medical disability and my father's job loss, it is difficult for them to provide much at this time. As a Pell grant-qualified student (SAI index -1500), I am immensely grateful for the scholarship opportunities offered. Each received helps me focus on academic needs first. I am doing my part to financially contribute to my education through work-study. My Intro to Design professor was so pleased with my fall quarter contributions in assisting fellow students with CAD that he extended me the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for his class. I am grateful to all who have assisted me on my adventure. Thank you!