It is 9:30 and I am already dressed in my pajamas and ready for bed when my mother's phone begins to ring. The screen lights up my parents' dark bedroom and I make my way to it, the words read, "Jayme's mom". Jayme and I had been best friends for as long as I can remember, and we did everything together. She had been sick for a long time, though. I run the phone to my mother, anxious for the adventure that arose from this phone call--except it ended in a way I would have never imagined. My mom walks into the other room with a devasted look on her face. "Okay, I'll let her know", my mother said as she hung up the phone. The next words are the ones that would change my life: "Jayme just had her leg amputated. The infection was uncontrollable". I stared into my mother's worried eyes as I process what she just told me. I knew this would make things different--no more hide-and-seek, no more climbing into the treehouse, no more normal kid things. What nine-year-old me did not know was how eleven years later, I would be pursuing a career to change the lives of people who experience what my Jayme did all of those years ago. More than seventy-five percent of the three million Americans in need of prosthesis cannot afford it. Among those 2.25 million Americans sat my best friend and her family. They did not have the financial stability to afford the prosthetic I so desperately wanted for my best friend. At such a young age, I had no concept of money. I did everything I could--washed cars, sold my toys, walked dogs-- in order to help her family out. Of course, none of it was enough and the years went by as I watched Jayme sit in her wheelchair on the playground. I was devastated because I knew there was nothing I could do to help her. I promised myself then that, no matter what, I would never let another little girl's best friend go through this. Eleven years later and I am a junior at Mississippi State seeking my bachelor's degree in biomedical and chemical engineering. As a woman in engineering, I receive many doubtful and worried looks. My classes are dominated my males and I have had one female professor in the entirety of my career at Mississippi State. I know the stereotype in engineering and how the entire field has been dominated by men for years, but I am motivated. I am keeping the promise I made to myself all of those years ago. After graduation, I plan on opening my own firm and targeting lower income and veteran families. I am studying the materials commonly used for prosthesis and trying to research alternative materials that may make them more affordable and practical. One day, I will have Jayme in my office, and I will be able to change her life, just like she did for me all of those years ago. If not for her, I would have never realized the dire need for someone passionate about this field. I would have never known how much it impacts peoples lives. I will change her life and that is when all of the doubt and the insanely hard work will mean something to me.

An eight-year-old little girl sitting at the benches on the playground watching as her peers played on the monkey bars, swing set, and slides. A little eight-year-old girl, in her wheelchair because a year ago, her doctor recommended amputation because her leg was too far gone and there was no stopping the infection from spreading. A sweet, confused, wheelchair ridden little girl stared as all of her friends played because her parents could not afford the expenses of a prosthetic leg. That little girl was my best friend. As an eight-year-old, I washed cars, sold my toys, and walked dogs in hopes that I would raise enough money to help my other half raise enough money to get her a new leg. The truth was, the expenses were far beyond anything I could ever fathom. I vowed to do something to change this to prevent someone else's best friend from going through the same thing. Twelve years later, I am in my third year of college pursuing a degree in biomedical and chemical engineering. I fought hard to get to the position I am in right now and will continue to work hard until the car washing little girl I used to be is proud and contempt with the lives I have changed. I plan on doing research on the materials used for prosthesis so that I can find and implement lower costing prosthetics for those families who lacked the resources just as my childhood best friend did all of those years ago. Engineering is truly a life-changing major. Thousands of lives will be impacted by the decisions I make. Everybody has the option to change someone's life, whether it be for the better or for the worse, we all have the capabilities. Because I go to a college known for its engineering program, I know a lot of people going into the field. Consequently, I also know a lot of people who are doing it simply because of the money. Many of my peers lack the drive and desires to want to change lives. I am passionate about my field because I have seen first-hand how it effects people's lives when people lack passion in their work. I hope that one day I can go to my childhood best friend's home and size her in for a prosthetic of my own design. An affordable one. A life changing one. A meaningful one. One that was made with love and passion. I attribute my career path to that little girl who sat on the bench of her playground watching her peers play. That little girl was my life-change and I hope one day to be hers.

A beautiful Irish woman with peppered hair and tiny reading glasses. She fought hard for her family and friends. She never gave up on the things she was passionate about and let not a single thing or soul stand in her way. She was ambitious, kind, and incredibly optimistic. This little Irish woman had more drive and dedication than any one I had ever met. One day, her world came crashing down when she heard the words "breast cancer" come out of her doctor's mouth. Her routine check-up had turned to a series of needles, chemotherapy, and surgeries. Despite it all, though, she persisted. Not long after, the horrific words came from her doctor's mouth again, "yes, it came back," she explained as her daughter stared into her eyes. After many more rounds of chemotherapy and surgeries, that little Irish woman laid in the hospital bed as the doctors explained to her family that she had only a few more weeks before the cancer was too far spread for her body to survive any longer. Six months later, she sat around the Christmas tree with her family, cancer-free and smiling the biggest smile anyone had ever seen. That little Irish woman had defied the medical odds given to her and fought until she got exactly what she wanted. A couple years later, on Christmas morning she was rushed to the hospital with dangerously low oxygen levels. Her family was told that she had COVID-19 and she needed to be put on a ventilator. Against their wants, her family obliged and watched the beautiful Irish woman they loved so dearly, fade away until a month later, she was dancing on the streets of heaven. My beautiful Irish grandmother was the strongest person I have ever known. She fought harder than anyone, but she remained humble despite it all. She had every reason to brag, but she never dared to speak about her successes. As a little girl my grandmother always told me that people were going to try their hardest to prevent them from reaching their goals. She told me that no matter the chatter, I should always work for myself and never anybody else. That beautiful Irish lady told me to aim as higher than the world allowed and to never back down. Only three months before she passed, I started my journey as Mississippi State University. I told my Nana that I would tell her what my major was after my first semester so it gave her something to look forward to. That same Christmas morning, before she was rushed to the hospital, everything was still and quiet. The smell of sausage balls and coffee lingered in the air and it was still dark outside. I looked my strong Irish grandmother in the eyes and told her I chose to major in both Biomedical and Chemical engineering. She stared at me for a few seconds, those seconds were the longest of my life. It was silent until it wasn't anymore. She burst into tears and exclaimed how proud she was of me. Almost two years later, and I like to think about how proud she would be of me. That woman inspired me to always reach higher than I thought possible. She taught me to have faith in myself and ignore anything that stood in my way. I work every day to model my life the way that the little Irish woman I admired so much did.

"Sweetheart, I think it's for the best," my teary-eyed mother said to me after she had just turned my entire world upside-down. An entire eleven years in the same house, with the same friends, in the same school system just had just come crashing down around me as my mom told me we were moving to a completely different state because my dad had just accepted a new job. To an eleven-year-old, that was the end of my world--being uprooted with no warning at all. I spent my entire life up to that point finding the friends who loved me for the person I was and now I had to start completely over. Three weeks later my family and I left our big city life and moved to a small town in Tennessee. To say I struggled to fit in was an understatement. I knew absolutely nobody, I had no family here, and everybody was wearing cowboy boots and belt buckles! People made fun of my clothes, my hair, my weight, and after 6 months there was no change in their behavior towards me. This was when I was diagnosed with both depression and anxiety. As an all 'A' student, I had never lacked the desire to go to school, until then. I fought with my parent every morning over this and I never came out victorious. One day I was standing outside waiting for my parents to come pick me up when a girl walked up to me with the biggest grin on her face. She introduced herself, "Chloe Greer," she said as I looked at her dumbfounded. She became my one and only friend in the hick town I now was forced to call my home. We did everything together and I had never felt closer to anybody in the entire world. Almost ten years later and that smiley little girl is still my best friend and my college roommate. We have experienced the best and worst parts of each other's lives and we know everything about each other. I love her with my whole heart. While eleven-year-old Allexys was miserable in her new town, twenty-year-old Allexys looks back and thanks God for putting her in that position. I adopted the "everything happens for a reason" mentality and take every battle that is thrown my way and I handle it with grace and respect. When that grinning girl walked up to me, I realized this life is whatever I make of it. I may not have complete control over the course of my life, but I now know that I am the only one that controls the outlook I have on the obstacles I will always, inevitably, face. No challenge is big enough that I can not conquer, especially with the right people surrounding me and the right attitude. Which is exactly why I chose a double engineering major at one of the best engineering college in the SEC. I prove to myself every day that the little girl who thought her life was ending the day she stepped foot into her new house on Sampson Avenue that she could not have been more wrong.

In life we face difficulties. Sometimes we can recognize the strides people take to overcome hardships, but other times nobody could ever fathom the strength it took to be where they are today. When I look at my mom and dad, I see two people who did everything in their power to provide for my brother and me. Two people who did not care what it took, they would make us happy and ensure success in our future. They were humble in their efforts but proud of their accomplishments. As cheesy as it sounds, my favorite moment of high school was turning around and seeing the undeniably proud looks on my mom and dad's faces when I finally walked across the graduation stage. When the principal announced, "Allexys Roberts plans on attending Mississippi State University to pursue her bachelor's in biomedical engineering," chills were sent down my body and tears flooded my eyes. It was a feeling of achievement and excitement for my future. But it was a feeling of thankfulness, as well. I recognized my parents' efforts and they just watched their last kid walk across the stage and cross over into a world full of hope. Hope that was given to me by the tireless effort my mom and dad put forth for my future. Both of my parents finished high school, but neither of them went to college. I am a first-generation college student. The feeling of walking across that stage was one that I will never forget. I strived every day to be the absolute best that I could be in everything I did, especially when it came to school. I had the mindset that I was going to break family records and accomplish things that nobody ever thought possible. Throughout high school, I studied for hours every day, participated in extracurriculars, and did everything in my power to finish strong. I did everything I could to make my parents smile while they watched me walk across the stage on my high school's football field. Unquestionably, it was a moment that will live on in my head forever. The moment that not only myself, but my parents, could finally take a rest in the fact that they did it. Their daughter was going to college to do something that nobody could ever imagine her doing. And despite all of the odds I was going to become an engineer. I am currently a sophomore in college seeking aid for my junior year. I attend Mississippi State Unversity and am pursuing a bachelor's in biomedical engineering with a focus in prosthesis as well as minors in mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Growing up, the people I called my friends were extremely disrespectful to everyone who was not exactly like they were. Whether it be their financial status, race, or their religious beliefs, they had no tolerance if they did not possess the same qualities. This has infuriated me since I was seven years old. As I got older, I recognized that this is a universal problem. There is simply not enough love or acceptance in this world. Every day people are killed over their religious perspectives, their political beliefs, or their tax brackets. The amount of intolerance and division that is blatantly present in my community, my country, and throughout the entire world is so minute and disheartening. When I was in the fourth grade, I did not know much. But, I knew the love I had for one of my best friends. She was the complete opposite of me: different race, different political stance, tax bracket, race, and everything in between. She was the true definition of love. She did everything within her means to make everyone around her comfortable and happy. Her family was the same way. Throughout school, she was bullied and demeaned because of who she was. She ended her battle after graduation. The pure hatred was too much for her to handle. Who are we to judge people based on these irrelevant qualities that they possess? Why do people base their views on each other based on anything but their personalities? I am fortunate enough to be a part of a huge minority that is never judged or picked on because of these things, but I have been right on the front lines with those not as fortunate as I am. It kills me to watch people make other's lives so difficult because of such petty things. I am part of several inclusion groups on my campus and in my community. I take pride in knowing that I go to such an inclusive university. Discrimination is ever-present and there is no running away from it. The only way we can prevent it is if we all stand together against it.

When I was younger, my mother always told me that I was stronger than any challenge that I would face. And, just like many other little girls, I giggled at her and ran away to go play. It was not until early February of 2022 that I wished I had truly listened to her. On Christmas day in 2021, my grandmother was diagnosed with a severe case of COVID-19. Never before was I as nervous as I was when I received this news. The truth was, my grandmother had many underlying health conditions and the chances of her surviving this were slim to none. Sure enough, her oxygen levels started dropping and on February 4, 2022, I lost the woman I looked up to the most in this world. Early on, I had a very rare relationship with my grandmother. I lived with her for over half of my life and looked up to her in every way possible. She was a very devout Christian, an incredible gardener, the best advisor, and the best person I have ever met. From the ripe age of three, I was gardening and praying with my Nana. I loved her like no other. Her death truly took a toll on my family. Nobody said a word at her funeral as we were all in complete and utter shock. The day she passed away, my world stood still. Everything was silent. I did not eat for weeks. Nothing could make my life any more dreadful. That is, until April 14, 2022. I was working as a waitress in my college town when I got a phone call from my mother. She called to tell me that her mammogram came back and that she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer. I had no words. I had lost all hope. The next few months were filled with a lot of tears and doctor's appointments. And, finally, in November we received the news that my mother no longer had any traces of cancer in her body. One day, I remembered those silly words my mother had told me all of those years ago. They stuck in my head and amidst every slight aggravation I told myself, "I am strong". This past year has given me the "fight" to learn that my challenges will not define who I am. The facts were that I am alive and healthy and that I have been blessed with the opportunity to pursue my lifelong goal. I will fight to work toward my goal and I will overcome all of life's obstacles. I will succeed despite all of the bad. Recognizing the little aspects of life can be very difficult, especially when you are surrounded by such difficult times. I learned that the only way to overcome the bad is to search for the good. And, sometimes, you have to look extremely hard for those good parts. Sometimes it feels impossible to find a glimmer of hope in anything. But, I learned to look at life with optimism and hope. Yes, my grandmother passed away, but she is painless now. Yes, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, but she won her battle. Yes, life is tough, but I am stronger than any battle that is presented to me. Life truly is a mosaic of every little and big challenge we face. But the response to the challenge is what determines how easily you will be able to overcome it. I miss my Nana every single day. I would love to give her just one more hug, but I take pride in the fact that I was able to know her and was so incredibly loved by her.

Growing up, my best friend got a very rare infection in her leg that presented the need to amputate. She went from being a very lively kid to having to live out the rest of her life in a wheelchair. As hard as her parents tried, they simply could not afford to get her fitted for a prosthetic and she was never able to experience that luxury. In my opinion, something as life-altering as a prosthetic is should be more affordable to lower-income families. Watching my best friend have to sit out at recess and not be able to dance at prom was extremely saddening to experience. She was left out on a lot of things simply because her family did not have the means to afford her prosthetic. My name is Allexys Roberts and I am an undergraduate at Mississippi State University. I am seeking a degree in biomedical engineering with a focus in designing prosthetics. After graduating, I intend on eventually opening up my own firm where I can begin designing and manufacturing prosthetic limbs specifically targeting lower-income families as well as veterans. This will be a very challenging goal to accomplish, as manufacturing prosthetics is certainly not cheap. This is why the majority of companies get away with charging upwards of $60,000 for certain limbs. While I know this is a goal not easily accomplished, I believe that nobody should be stripped of the simplicity of life that comes along with possessing all of your limbs. Most people do not understand the challenges that come along with amputation. Nobody really even thinks about it. But, the reality of it is that children are stripped of their childhood. Veterans are stripped of the chance to enjoy a retired life. They face many hardships that are completely foreign concepts to people. Many take advantage of the fact that they possess all of their limbs--who wouldn't? Not only do these patients experience the loss of a very crucial part of their body, but many also experience anxiety and depression. Additionally, I hope to inspire others to stand up for those who are overlooked. It can be so easy to stare at that woman in Walmart who lost both of her arms when she was a child. It can be so tempting to giggle at the man in the church who lost both of his legs while at war. But, it can become so much easier to love those people, to help them with their adversities, to be welcoming and stand up for them.

At the end of the day, we all just want to get where we are going. Whether it be in our career paths, to our loved one's houses, or just to a place of peace and contempt, we all have goals we strive to achieve. But with these goals, come many battles we must win. Adversity is a universal thing that everyone must overcome. Being a woman in the STEM field has been difficult. When some people hear what I plan to do with my career, I get faces of disapproval and doubt. Many people believe I will never make it where I aim to be. It can be very challenging facing those who doubt me every day, but in hindsight, it only makes my attitude and determination greater. When faced with adversity, my first thought is to always stand firm in what I want and what I believe. I know that, no matter what, there will always be people who doubt me and my plans, but I find it important to remember that there are always people who support me in these decisions, as well. No matter what happens, I know that there are people on my team and people who have my back. It all boils down to what kind of attitude you have. Being a female engineering major, I have learned to practice positivity and develop a "glass-half-full mentality". Additionally, my motto is "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". Again, we all face adversity; it is life. Sometimes all we can do is learn from it and move on. I know that things can become very tough and sometimes we just feel like quitting, but I like to imagine how much brighter my life will be on the other side of the conflict. I like to think about how happy I will be knowing I persisted through all of the obstacles that were thrown my way. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The challenges we face in life are crucial to our character development. And, when all else fails, a little time spent with friends and family is always a great way to take your mind off of things. Nothing helps the heart more than a little bit of laughter and love. Troubling times can truly take a toll on a person's mental and even physical health. Sometimes, removing yourself from the situation for some time is the only way you can figure out how to deal with things. Sometimes it takes a fresh set of eyes to allow yourself the means of facing the inevitable adversities that life throws your way.

In life, we are constantly surrounded by numbers, data, and equations. The concept of mathematics helps people view and manage the world in a way that nothing else can. These concepts have been around for almost 2,000 years. Dating back to days before pencils and pens even existed. This goes to show how the applications of math can be used in any situation, even situations that arose thousands of years ago. Studies have shown that over ninety-four percent of people will use math in their careers at some point. This simply goes to show the incredible realm covered by the concepts of math. Another intriguing characteristic of this subject is that, in math, there is no ambiguity. There is always a right answer and a clear path to that answer. A sense of certainty comes along with performing math problems: there is a right way to do things, and if you do them the right way, you get the right answer. There is no dancing around the answer or guessing it. Someone either knows it, or they do not. Additionally, we perform some of the same mathematic equations and steps that people like Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton did. While much more has been discovered since those times, it is incredible to think that we are linked to genius mathematicians in this way.

When I was a kid, my parents always argued about what I was destined to do with my life: my dad told me I was made for engineering, while my mom told me I was born to go into the medical field. Growing up, I spent my childhood working on cars and machinery with my dad, admiring how much he enjoyed working with me. People would drive by us looking at me funny because a seven-year-old girl was outside working on cars and learning about them instead of being inside playing with her barbie dolls. I have known I was made for the engineering field since I was five. I am currently a freshman in college, seeking aid for my sophomore year. I have lived in a small town in Tennessee for almost 11 years. Growing up, and currently, I enjoyed everything that involved math and science. I attended many quiz bowls and competed in the state of Tennessee's Beta Convention for math and science, as well. In high school, I also competed in the All-State Honor Choir, All-Northwest Honor Choir, Solo and Ensemble, and Quad-State. I also enjoyed volunteering at events in my town. I volunteered at my local humane society, "Feed the Need" operations, and was openly involved in the daycare that my church provided. When it came time for me to decide what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, I considered many factors: my love for helping people and the love I have for math and science. With these things considered, I knew that I would go into the engineering field. To please both my mom and dad, I thought, what better than to put both of their desires into my career choice? This is why I decided to go into biomedical engineering with a focus on designing prosthetic limbs. My goal with this degree is to eventually be able to work with lower-income families who are unable to purchase the costly prosthetics that are sold today. Right now, prosthetics are one of the most expensive entities in the healthcare system, and in the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, most families are unable to purchase the prosthetic limbs that their loved ones require in order to live a functional life. I hope to be able to change this with my future work by providing a more cost-efficient limb for families that need these limb replacements.