Eight years old, with people all around me speaking in a language I did not understand trying to get me to go someplace, follow the crowd, learn a specific subject. It was overwhelming. It took a year to adjust to an adequate level of knowledge of English in order to feel more comfortable with the people around me since it’s hard to say no to something when you don’t even understand what it is. My mother did her best to create an environment where I could learn English fast and I wasn’t singled out from the other kids, she was figuring out America for the first time too after all. I remember all the tears after I struggled for hours with a vocabulary assignment because I didn’t understand the word mystery. Elementary was difficult for a while because I would have to rely on another kid to translate for me during certain lessons. I would feel frustration brewing in my chest when I got the wrong answer because I didn’t understand. As time went on, I was encompassed by the language and culture and I assimilated. I copied the lingo of my peers and I copied their pronunciation of words too, which in turn granted me the access to a California accent. My mom, knowing English well, poked fun at the fact that I did not fully pronounce my t’s anymore. My family back in Ukraine has always encouraged me to use the opportunities presented to me. Their encouragement came in many forms, from dressing me well and teaching me manners, to telling me that I can achieve good grades because I work hard and study diligently. That is what made life bearable when it was hard. Even when they were on the other side of the globe, they called me to keep my native tongue and persuade me to be better academically. Whenever I went high, they always told me I could go higher. This support from my family created a path for me to reach heights they didn’t, specifically in the United States. My future goals have been laser focused on becoming the first engineer in my family. The effort I put into my education, even when I falter and get overwhelmed, stems from love and admiration from my family back home that know they raised a wonderful girl into a capable woman. Having the last name that I do, holding my family’s history and Ukraine’s history close to my heart, and having the fire and pride of my people in my bones pushes me to continue and do better for the world that they know I am capable of.

Reading introduced me to the English world through vocabulary and ideas I didn't have yet as a child in Ukraine. Reading introduced me to my history and the history of my land in Europe in the Carpathian Mountains. Reading introduced me to people with different ideas, ideas of acceptance and tolerance, and to have goals so big that they will land me among the stars. What hasn't reading taught me? The knowledge I have acquired and the values I hold all stem from the folk tales, textbooks, and books. Kolobok, the runaway bun that gets tricked into being eaten that taught not to trust everyone you meet who seems kind. My calculus textbook that taught me the proofs and methods to solve complex equations so that I could pass my classes. Animal Farm, demonstrates the reality of how the USSR came to rise and showed me the context behind the world that I was living in in Ukraine. With history constantly trying to be rewritten by those that want to push certain narratives, I have been in pursuit of books and knowledge to keep the truth alive. The books from the perspectives of those that have lived through the events show the harsh reality my ancestors had to live through for me to be able to exist today. My goals to become an engineer and be part of the movement to create a better world for those around me stems from knowing that I wouldn't have the same opportunities if I was born in a different generation. My want to use all of my resources to my advantage is rooted in the stubbornness and persistence of those that came before me to create a better life for themselves and not just survive. Pursuing my mechanical engineering degree as an immigrant woman in the United States is a challenge in and of itself, being a minority in such a field. I learned from comic books and biography articles about other strong women that inspired me to follow this path in spite of having only a few of my female peers follow the same road. The strength of role models I have never met but only read about has pushed me to become better and stronger as a human being with the power of their words. Knowing that even if history won't mention my name, that the people who's journeys inspired me and my history that has fueled me will be enough for me.

Born in Boryslav, Ukraine in 2005, I spent the first 9 years of my life being raised by my single mother and grandmother, along with my aunt and her family. I am an IVF baby, so I never had a "father" that I knew therefore in my eyes, my grandma was my dad since other kid's families always had two central people. I was put in a private elementary school in the park next to our apartment and I excelled in mathematics as well as every other subject I was introduced to. The education system was rigorous, and I had a lot of homework, but I loved every bit of it because I was doing something I loved and enjoyed which was working with numbers. In 2012 my mom married an American and suddenly I had a father figure in my home. Soon enough I was told that I would be moving to America and leaving not only my family but all of my friends and the plans I made for myself for my future. Maggie moved to the United States in 2015 with no support system but created one for herself, and like her, I created a pathway for myself for success and stability in a new territory. I kept myself sane by keeping in contact with my family, but they couldn’t help me much when they were on the other side of the world. Maggie and I are quite similar in the athletics department as well since I threw myself into sports such as tennis, track, dance, cheerleading, and boxing in order to test out what I liked most. In Ukraine, I could communicate with any person I met with a common language and history, but in the U.S., I didn't know enough English to communicate my needs and wants so my comfort place became numbers. During math class I didn't have to speak or write properly because the numbers were universal, except for the periods instead of commas for decimals but that was easy to adjust to. Just like Maggie, I was academically focused, so I channeled my tears and sadness on learning more arithmetic and science because, unlike the English language, people could understand what I was trying to say with equations. My academic efforts were validated through the passing of AP exams for world history, U.S. history, English composition, English literature, U.S. government, and physics. I found I was drawn to robots and joined Robotics clubs throughout middle and high school and even enrolled in the Engineering Construction and Design academy at my high school to further pursue my new goal of becoming an engineer. Fascinated by math and now the fields of construction and engineering I decided to major in Mechanical Engineering. I want to make sure I succeed so that they know that their efforts to raise me didn't go to waste and that I can make their names known to the world through my work and effort to make the world a better place.

Stepping onto a worksite brings me to a place nothing else does. It brings the kind of feeling of knowing your purpose, of feeling your worth, and seeing your ideas become reality. With all of the clubs I have tried out, of all of the projects I have been a part of, designing and being a construction manager for my own shed was by far the one that showed me where I belonged. The construction industry, while male dominated, was somewhat welcoming to a newcomer like me for a school-related project. Having the opportunity to put myself into the shoes of a designer and builder helped me formulate my brain towards 3D modeling a working shed that could actually be built and would be usable. Starting off with no prior knowledge of sheds or building plans I had to ask for a lot of help, not only from the internet and books but also those who knew the industry such as architects and construction workers. Hearing them explain what a California corner was and that I shouldn't use 4"x6" as wall planks, as well as learning that a 4"x6" isn't actually a 4"x6" really opened up my mind to a whole other world of knowledge that I was only dipping my toes into. I was pulled into the art of design through doing the work to learn more about what I was doing and how I could make it easier for those who will be building it after hearing how the connection between designers and builders is typically not there. Watching my creation rise from the ground up on the site thanks to my wonderful team of builders was a high I will forever chase. I know that nothing else brings me the same feeling of contentment as seeing my ideas become reality and working with skilled people to make those dreams a reality, which is exactly what the construction industry provides for me. The perfect environment to create and do it well.

My name is Yuliana Khoronzhak, and I am a Ukrainian immigrant who has lived in the US for about 10 years now. I came here when I was 8 because my mom married an American from California so my decision to leave was made for me. I left behind all my friends and family and the future I already had planned out for myself at the age of 8. My only family in America was my mom who was an English teacher and tutor in Ukraine, so I had lots of help at home to learn English. Having that help didn't stop the feeling of not fitting in though. As a student when I first entered school to finish out 3rd grade, I couldn't understand my teacher or classmates during the different lessons unless it was math. Math was the universal language where I didn't have to know English to communicate the right answer. What tripped me up though was the imperial system and how the next biggest value didn't rely on the other one like with the metric system. There was no "easy" way to find out how many inches were in a mile, and I found it very confusing as to why a whole society used something that wasn't easy to understand. Regardless, I kept learning English through playing with my peers to doing my assignments with my mom's help. Watching Disney shows also helped me learn English slang and pronunciations enough that now as an 18-year-old people are shocked when I tell them I'm an immigrant. This unrequested journey has shown me how I can achieve things when I put my mind to them. In 4th grade I ran for school Vice President and when my mom asked me why I wanted to run, I responded with "Because only 6th graders can run for President". ‘Doing things simply because I could’ was the name of the game and I was playing it well. I ran and won Vice President twice and lost the Presidency race but then I simply shifted my focus elsewhere, like robotics and theater. Learning about my country's educational standards and how they compared to American one's was really eye opening and made me feel out of place in both societies, one where I felt like I wasn't doing enough and another where I thought I was doing too much. The U.S. education system isn't as hard on its students as the Ukrainian one and that made me put myself into positions to mimic the academic journeys of my Ukrainian friends in a system that was not designed for it. I put myself into AP classes whenever I could and explored 6 clubs my freshman year of high school; tennis, boxing, love notes (how to have healthy relationships with yourself and others), robotics (FRC), DJ club, and environmental club. I always took the highest English classes and proved to myself again and again that I belonged because of my knowledge of English and learning ability. I took Japanese for 3 years because I was interested in learning another language. Being in Robotics for 6 years and joining the Engineering program at my school showed me how much passion I really have for design, so I decided to major in Mechanical Engineering. All these pathways were available to US Citizen me and not Ukrainian citizen me, but as an immigrant I have a longing to explore the world and make it all my home, so I am applying to study abroad in Japan for my junior year of college.

Becoming an engineer takes a lot more than liking math and making things, I have found. Planning to acquire my bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and then go onto acquire my Masters in Mechanical Engineering or Physics, and potentially work towards a PhD, I know my educational goals are going to cost me. This scholarship would provide crucial support for me to achieve my academic goals. Having big plans for my future has both benefited and weighed me down. My first semester of college I lost a really close friend of mine to an accident and then I finally understood the uncertainty of life and plans. I pushed through the heartbreak to finish off the semester with a 2.97 GPA. It was rough to look at since I took APs all throughout high school and graduated with a 4.33 GPA. Finishing last semester was an accomplishment nonetheless because even as an academically driven student I contemplated dropping out to focus on my mental health and had to put a lot of work towards adjusting my standards to my current state. Seeking support from on-campus resources during a difficult period helped me recognize the value of college support systems. My academics and passion for learning keep me going and I know that I will be a lifelong learner and college is just one part of a much larger equation. I’m paying for my college education by myself through scholarships and my academic merit, which means I have written a lot of essays and have had a lot of experience in rejection through programs that would add onto my financial aid. I’m not easily discouraged though and I know that putting my focus towards my learning is an investment that I and those around me will benefit from in the future. Putting my knowledge skills to use at a job or knowing enough to start my own business and create jobs and resources for others is my ultimate goal, I would love to know that I am solidifying my future with finances to solely focus on college and my studies instead of having to multitask and take a while to finish my degree. I want to use my resources effectively to the best of my ability to make sure that I will make all those that supported me proud that they believed and invested in me for a reason. Reaching my goals is very important for me and pushing through challenges makes me strive for better, an endeavor which this scholarship would greatly help with.

As an immigrant myself, I relate to Joseph Lipovits. Unlike him though, I came to this country at 8 years of age and learned everything I know here in the US. I have always loved engineering and knowing how things work; when I was a little, I used to make houses out of candy and snails out of cotton swabs. I love creating functional art and beautifying the space around me. Construction is the field that helps me bring my creations and imagination to life. It’s such a wonderful feeling to fantasize about a project and then work hard to prototype and finalize it to then see it be used. Having experienced building a shed from scratch and being the Construction Manager for the entire project opened me up to the world of possibilities in the Construction industry for myself. It encompassed all of my interests and passions into a single design, and I got to work and collaborate with knowledge individuals who guided me when I didn’t know how to do something. Once my 3D design was complete, as well as the build plans, I went on site and adapted to every variable my builders had to deal with. The collaborative environment of all of us working towards the same goal and lifting each other up to not lose motivation when something doesn’t go according to plan made me fall in love with construction. So, while a home is something I know I want to design and build for myself in my future, it’s also any environment where I feel complete. Being on site and seeing my idea become reality was home, working hard to understand why my design wasn’t working was home, and any country that I am in that required me to communicate with others and make a place for myself is home. I can create a home for myself anywhere I go because of my experience as an immigrant and currently I have homes in many different places and memories. The end and biggest goal of mine is to create my own roots and build myself a house that I can call home. That way, I know that if I can make it to that goal and reach my dreams, the rest if life will be a breeze. I want to use my knowledge and talents to grow my skills and create environments that I call home for others and spread the feeling of content and security.

My best friend started off as someone I hated. I didn't like her because she became close with another friend of mine back in middle school and I couldn't stand that I wasn't as important to my other friend anymore. Deciding to do something about it, I got to know the girl that took my friend away and I came to understand. She was sweet, funny, and a really good friend to me. Her kindness and platonic love showed me a world of friendship I only saw in movies and dreamed of. As we grew closer, we collected more people to our group and branched out to more individuals but always stayed close. As we were walking around once together with our arms interlocked, I directed our attention to the trees and how their branches and leaves are almost touching but the leaves barely interacted with one another if they were from separate trees in the quad. I decided to start creating a story about why the leaves didn't want to touch as she chimed in about the tree being in a war with one another. built off of her creativity and said that the fallen leaves were the fallen soldiers. We created a whole world where lovers were forbidden from seeing one another but did so anyway and were killed, how the leaves requested peace but were denied, and created islands for trees that were farther away but still sent troops to help. We never did come up with a definite cause for the war, but we had an absolute blast creating such a wonderful world together filled with love, betrayal, sadness, and misfortune. We tried to explain our thought process to the friends around us but they just looked at us as if we were crazy. It didn't matter though, she understood where my mind was going and she joined me on the ride. It was an incredible moment of connectivity for me that I will never forget, and every time fall rolls around I think of her and I feel grateful that she is still in my life. For the 7 years that we have been friends there have been many moments where we understood one another though no one else did and that is the connection I have been wanting and looking for. She is my platonic soulmate and no matter where life takes us I know she will always be my ride or die and the one I'll bring my delusions to life with.

Responding to each individual with kindness is my way of addressing social prejudices. There are so many stereotypes and preconceived notions about people that hinder our growth as a society and that’s because we look at problems through a right and wrong lens. People are pinned against one another because of beliefs and encouraged to fight for what they believe in so strongly that they don’t have a chance to take a breath, stay calm, and talk it through. The rage of emotions that surrounds topics of racism and political injustice will not be quenched by one individual, but as long as I address opposing views and opinions with kindness and an open mind to hear someone out instead of getting angry that they don’t believe or think the same as me, I feel like I am making a difference. My hope is that by responding with love instead of reacting with anger will create a domino effect where that individual also continues to spread love and see things differently. While the world isn’t black and white, it’s difficult to say that all opinions are equal. The gray areas of life that will never have a right answer are where people are most divided amongst themselves. My hope is that by listening to all sides and all opinions and through conversations create a safe space to discuss instead of attacking certain outlooks we can reduce the prejudice between each other. Seeing the atrocities that people commit towards one another, completely forgetting that we’re all human, is truly disheartening. As much as I would like to hope that people can learn to be more loving and less hateful towards their neighbors or people who are different than them, it’s not a realistic goal. So my effort is focused around those around me who I can influence and show that judgment is not the answer to societal issues. It’s difficult to try to influence a huge crowd of people because I’m not in a leadership position at the moment, so I use the fact that each person has their own social circle to my advantage and talk openly about the war in Ukraine for example and how even though each side wants to get people to hate the other, they are neighbors with a very long history of hatred that won’t just go away. The solution isn’t to give up fighting but it’s to redirect the fight from amongst the people to the government systems that have failed the people in both countries and hold those in power accountable for taking away their citizens lives to fund their agendas.

Born in Boryslav, Ukraine in 2005, I spent the first 9 years of my life being raised by my single mother and grandmother, along with my aunt and her family. I am an IVF baby so I never had a "father" that I knew so in my eyes my grandma was my dad because that's what other kid's families looked like. I was put in a private elementary school in the park next to our apartment and I excelled in mathematics as well as every other subject I was introduced to. The education system was rigorous and I had a lot of homework but I loved every bit of it because I was doing something I loved and enjoyed which was working with numbers. In 2012 my mom married an American and suddenly I had a father figure in my home, soon enough I was told that I would be moving to America and leaving not only my family but all of my friends and the plans I made for myself for my future. Everything I thought I had was ripped away. In addition to us moving to the US for my mom's marriage, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea was becoming tenser and I worried about my family back in Ukraine for years following the move because of everything I saw on the news. In Ukraine, I could communicate with any person I met with a common language and history, but in the US I didn't know enough English to communicate my needs and wants so my comfort place became numbers. During math class I didn't have to speak or write properly because the numbers were universal, except for the periods instead of commas for decimals but that was easy to adjust to. I focused my tears and sadness on learning more arithmetic and science because, unlike the English language, people could understand what I was trying to say with equations. I found I was drawn to robots and joined Robotics clubs throughout middle and high school and even enrolled in the Engineering Construction and Design academy at my high school to further pursue my new goal of becoming an engineer. Fascinated by math and now the fields of construction and engineering I decided to major in Mechanical Engineering and Construction Management. I am now using my past experiences and knowledge to give myself the best chance of success as a new adult not only for future graduate me, but also for the future me who wants to retire and not have to keep working at 75. With all of my family still in Ukraine every time me and my mom call them over Viber, Skype, or Messenger we hear the warning sirens. Not only is it a grim reminder that I am here while they have to constantly be reminded that they live in a war zone, but also that they are never really safe. I want to make sure I succeed so that they know that their efforts to raise me didn't go to waste and that I can make their names known to the world through my work and effort to make the world a better place.

The big yellow trucks that moved around of their own volition, cranes bigger than any person almost touching the sky, and people just like my parents and family wearing bright clothing that sparkled in the rain or sunshine amazed me as a kid. In my senior year of high school I got a chance to be the lead designer to create a 3D model of a shed with a given materials list and then later be the Construction Manager for the project. This blessing of an opportunity showed me that being out in the construction field, not only designing plans from behind the screen, was where I felt most at home. Having people I could rely on and help support as they brought my vision to life within a timed competition opened my eyes to all of the possibilities that I could pursue. I found my passion in working with the real world and those around me who saw the same possibilities I did. The creativity that is available out in the world is something I am very interested in exploring not only by majoring in Mechanical Engineering but also by double majoring in Construction Management. A career in construction and the construction field would utilize not only the knowledge I am pursuing, but also my talents and skills. This field has so many opportunities for growth and involvement with the communities around me that I can't help but be drawn to pursuing a career in construction. I know a lot of tradespeople and I have heard about their experiences and the paths they chose to go down, which enticed me to get into the field myself. Hearing about the support they received and how well their careers set them up for later in life, there's nothing else I'd love to do other than be out there and bring people's visions and dreams to life.