Hobbies and interests
Songwriting
Writing
Teaching
Running
Coding And Computer Science
Architecture
3D Modeling
Computer Science
STEM
Reading
Suspense
Mystery
Fantasy
Thriller
Romance
I read books multiple times per week
Victoria Santiago
3,415
Bold Points1x
Nominee1x
FinalistVictoria Santiago
3,415
Bold Points1x
Nominee1x
FinalistBio
By the time I got into high school, I was typing, “how to become an Architect” after taking a class called Drafting and Design 1. I learned how to draft on paper like a drafter, and learned how to use CAD. My teacher told us students about a job offer, to be an AutoCAD drafter for an automatic door company, ASSA ABLOY. As a young and hungry freshman, I applied, and I got it. Since then, I’ve been helping create blueprints for automatic doors. Through this experience, I learned not only how to read blueprints but also how to think like an architect. This sparked a lasting passion for engineering.
I needed to make something physically out of my intellectual thoughts. It needed to be more than what was just on the computer. Hence why I also took electronics tech 1 in junior year, to learn the basics of electronics and circuits, and drafting and design 2 to use 3D modeling software (OnShape) to see what I make on CAD come to life after it’s printed. I’m also currently taking Engineering Design and Electronics Tech 2 (I’m also the only girl in both classes) to strengthen my skills for the engineering world. I made so many amazing things the past couple of years. Now, as a senior, I’m strengthening my skills in Engineering Design and Electronics Tech 2—where I’m proud to be the only girl in both classes. My projects include building an LED light stand that adjusts to daylight, an Elenco variable power supply, a lightsaber, solar-powered LEGO bricks, and a mini solar panel controlled by sunlight. I also joined the school’s FIRST Robotics team to gain hands-on robotics experience.
Education
Lenape High School
High SchoolMiscellaneous
Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
- Engineering, General
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Career
Dream career field:
Program Development
Dream career goals:
To make a strong impact on the world with my skills in programming
made a website/design other things they need
Freedomscholarship.org2024 – Present1 yearpreparing AutoCad drawings for automatic doors
Besam/Assa Alboy2022 – Present3 years
Sports
Track & Field
Junior Varsity2021 – 20221 year
Awards
- 3rd in don dansers relay
Arts
school
Sculpture2022 – 2023
Public services
Volunteering
Prishani's tutoring — tutor2024 – PresentVolunteering
AI for Girls Enterprise — Canva designer2024 – PresentVolunteering
Mount Laurel Library — volunteer2023 – 2023Advocacy
Women In Stem — Co-leader2023 – PresentVolunteering
Interact club2022 – Present
Future Interests
Advocacy
Volunteering
Entrepreneurship
Elevate Women in Technology Scholarship
One technological advancement that has truly inspired my outlook on the upcoming future is focused on the capabilities of satellites. Whether it be the ability to monitor climate change, enable global communication, or provide life-saving disaster relief data, satellites have always been very fascinating to me, and inspire me. To further specify, the technological advancements and applications of satellites as tools for global connectivity and understanding make up a type of technology that I believe will change the world for the better.
While we often think of satellites in terms of internet access or GPS navigation, their impact extends far beyond that. This type of technology is important for improving agriculture through precision monitoring, aiding in wildlife conservation by tracking endangered species, and even providing remote communities with access to education and healthcare resources. Satellites also play a critical role in addressing global issues, such as monitoring deforestation, forecasting extreme weather events, and providing critical data to mitigate the effects of climate change. By empowering communities with these capabilities, satellites allow us to understand and address some of the most complex issues facing our planet, by gathering data to examine the world as a whole.
Every time I see images of Earth taken from space, I am inspired to contribute to this technology. As someone passionate about aerospace and astronautics, I am determined to advance the development of satellites to create more equitable and sustainable solutions for the world. I plan to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering and dedicate my career to innovating satellite systems that are more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. By focusing on making this technology accessible to underserved regions and maximizing its potential to tackle global challenges, I hope to inspire others to see the possibilities of a united and informed planet. In turn, I aim to demonstrate how satellites can not only connect us but also empower humanity to work together to make the world a better place.
Redefining Victory Scholarship
I don’t have enough money for college.
I’m a junior in high school who wants to major in computer science. With coding, the sky is the limit. You can make your own app, build a website, program a robot, and of course, solve a problem and fix it. I have experience with using HTML, CSS, Javascript, Java, React Native, and Python. I have more to build on what I know, and even more other coding languages to explore. I also enjoy sharing my passion! I’m currently working on getting a coding club in my school, which will hopefully bring together coders from all over my school, and possibly other schools as well. When I grow up, I want to make something that brings coders together. I don’t know if that’s a website, an app, or some really cool invention, but when I think of the future I see that. That’s my end goal–that’s my victory.
Yet, then there’s the question: how can I achieve such goals, or in other words, reach my victory, if I can’t afford it?
I have a job in which I prepare AutoCAD designs of automatic doors. I write the measurements, add notes, edit the drawings of the automatic doors, and sometimes I do the drawings myself! I work about 3 hours a couple of days a week, and I earn 14.50 dollars an hour. Yet I needed more, because there was the question of whether one job was enough to financially support myself and my dreams. So I’m getting another one at a local farm. I am even making a website for a wonderful lady who raises money for BTS charities, that will get me money too. Money is just on my mind constantly; we live in a world in which the amount you have is the amount you can do…As of right now, I can’t walk out of the house and live a stable life. I don’t have the money to do that either…
So yeah, I’m scared that I’ve lost…but then I remember who I am.
My name is Victoria. Victoria means victory in Latin, or in other words, the name of the Goddess of Victory. There are millions of names in the world, yet I was named Victoria. I was almost named Jasmine or Veronica, but I was named Victoria. So in my opinion, that just means I am meant to win. I’m meant to conquer my financial struggles. At this point, I don’t know how many scholarships I tried applying for as a high school junior, (sadly, most of them are for seniors) but I’m not giving up. By the end of senior year, my goal is to have enough money for at least the first year of college, and then I work from there…so I ask you to please give me this scholarship, because this is not only a want, but a need for someone who can’t afford to do much of anything…
Victory is my dream of being a coder. Victory is my wish upon a star, to make something great, no matter how many lines of code it takes to get there. Most importantly, I was born victory.
I am victory.
Book Lovers Scholarship
I don’t cry over stories.
No tears were shed when Fred is killed in an explosion in the battle of Hogwarts. No tears were shed when Marley, the dog, dies from an intestinal disorder. No tears were shed when Jack sacrfices his spot on a floating door, only to be left in the frozen sea. After three books of attaching myself with the main character, Tris, from Divergent, no tears were shed when she gets shot, and dies...
I didn’t cry reading Wonder.
R.J Palacio is the master of breaking your heart, and then putting it back together. It follows a boy named August who is bullied for his facial deformity, mainly by a boy named Julian. It was a good story; it shows how kindness is always the best policy, even if you don’t always receive it. The story did put a couple of cracks in my heart, but the sequel shattered it.
I cried reading The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story.
The story takes the message from Wonder, and multiplies the intensity by a hundred, and puts it into the perspective of the bully, Julian. After getting kicked out of his old school, his grandma tells him a story to teach him a lesson.
Sara, the grandmother, grew up in France. She was Jewish so she knew what it’s like to be looked down upon, bullied, and neglected by society. So did a boy, who she called Tourteau. He was cripled, and couldn’t walk the right way. Eventually, the Nazis come an invade their village in France, and the two of them work together to save other classmates. They befriend each other, and they fall in love…I won’t spoil what happens, but it was devastating. It truly shows how we should always be kind, even when it seems like the whole world is against you.
I cried reading this. It hit me. It even hit the character Julian– especially when he finds out Tourteau was actually named Julien.
I highly advise for everyone to read this book. Of course, read Wonder first, but then read The Julian Chapter: A Wonder Story. Then watch the movie. It’s called White Bird, and it will come in October of 2024. Nothing gets you more then when a person shows huge acts of kindness in a world of hatred.
Sloane Stephens Doc & Glo Scholarship
Everyone can think; humans are wired with millions of questions and thoughts that float in their minds for every waking hour. Most people come up with answers with these thoughts, which is how the average person moves on to something else in their life. Although everyone has struggled to find solutions. When things get too hard, and all those questions and thoughts aren't getting anywhere, people give up. This includes some of our most intelligent people; it's why not all crimes are solved, not all of earth's mysteries are found, and why many people struggle to reach for the stars.
This is when a solutionist, like me, comes in. We keep questioning and thinking until we find the answer we need; we keep going until we have a solution. This trait I have has given me success. I pushed myself past my limits many times to solve problems on my own. I made plenty of horrible mistakes in my sixteen years of life, but I have always come back strong because I knew how to fix my problems. I’ve also been a solutionist for other people as well. I use this trait to help those in need of a solution, and by doing so I form connections and a higher knowledge of what people need. This trait has not only benefited me now, but it will most likely help me in the future.
I want to continue being a solutionist for the world. After high school, I plan to get a degree in architecture. It’s my dream to be the person to design buildings that people can work and live in; but as I was thinking about the future of this profession, I realized that architecture can also be harmful to the environment. I plan to use all the skills I learned so far, and what I learn in the future to help solve this global issue. I will apply science, math, and my problem-solving skills to help stop buildings from ruining our natural environment. Since I am a solutionist, I won’t give up until I have done what I need to make all architecture go green. Being a solutionist is more than just finding an answer. A solutionist is analytical and persistent. A solutionist is about finding explication, clarification, explanation, and of course, the solution. A solutionist today can make a leader of tomorrow, therefore being a solutionist is the best thing to be.