Dear Perseus, also known as Percy, Persimmon, Cutiepie, etc. etc. You came into our life like lightening. Bold and life-changing. You greet everyone with so much kindness and love. You are such a beacon of positivity and honestly you’re a great “pup-brother”. I love you. Our family loves you. We can’t imagine life without you. Even though it seems like you just arrived yesterday, our whole family can’t believe you’re almost 1 buddy!!! You are every family’s dream! Thanks for loving us and for reminding us how a little thing like you can be our whole world.

Problems Yearn to be Solved. Think. Think. Think. Aha. I got it! Throughout my life, I have always been someone people confide in when they have problems: where to eat problems, friend problems, and most importantly math and software problems. Whether it be a complex math or software issue, I have always excelled at solving these puzzles. While other students at my school deemed math as a grueling necessity, I saw it as a remarkable quest for knowledge. My undying love for math and problem solving is my shadow and follows me everywhere, even at football games! I see parabolas and hyperbolas everywhere! This propelled me to become a mathlete and soon I found my sport: CubeSat. Upon hearing my school's CubeSat team's goal of launching a satellite in space, I immediately applied. Even though I had little engineering experience, I was in constant pursuit of strengthening my problem-solving talent, knowing that life is one big problem waiting to be solved, and I was extremely interested in the STEM field. CubeSat was where I could really hone in on my problem solving skills. At our first meeting, the advisor saw my enthusiasm, commitment, academic record, and appointed me as Software and Electronics team leader. I was ecstatic! If I am completely honest, this was a huge shock to me. I could tell there were many other experienced students who underestimated and looked down at me. It was intimidating to me because it felt like there were a herd of guys at all the tables. There were three other girls at the edge of the table at the back. I was shocked to see the disproportion between the amount of guys at the table compared to the girls. The advisor pulled me aside the first day and asked me if I really wanted to be a leader, because she sort of assigned it to me on the spot. She told me that I would be a much needed leader and that this would help me learn to be a better engineer. So, me being the challenger I am, I stayed and continued the role of the primary leader of CubeSat. I led the weekday meetings and ensured tasks were completed. At first, I faced a major challenge as coding was a new venture for me and I was still understanding our complex assignments. When I gathered everyone up, nervousness and pure fear drove me. I was afraid as the seniors I was in charge of who were seasoned programmers. Other than that, CubeSat was the most exciting experience ever. Here I learned more about 3D printing and designing. This was the coolest thing I had ever been a part of. Soon we all became a team and we all “gelled together”. With time and extra effort, I strengthened my analytical skills and made lasting friendships. When faced with hurdles, my team and I persisted. Sometimes, we had to completely change our path to get to the answer. Many times I had to sit down at my desk and teach myself different techniques by trial and error. When we were dealing with the PocketBeagle, I listened to my peers and heard all their feedback before we continued with extensive research. At first, I had a lot of difficulty, but I made sure to teach myself more about the PocketBeagle before I continued. The team advisor recommended me to join Chicktech and I did. Chicktech really boosted my confidence as a female in the STEM field and soon they taught me to become a better engineer. Specifically, the event about the BlackBoard really assisted me in guiding my team. In this event, we wrote different sections of coding to play a simple “pacman and ghosts capture” game using the BlackBoard which is very similar to the PocketBeagle. Soon, we were running code and documenting our research in no time. Whether it was a simple feat like turning on the various lights of the PocketBeagle or accomplishing a great feat by successfully running our code, CubeSat and ChickTech helped me become a better engineer and leader. Now I’m no longer intimidated to be a woman engineer and leader. I’m proud to be one. In CubeSat, I learned to do more than simply write for loops and if statements. When we were presented with difficult challenges, my incredible team communicated effectively and collaborated our ideas and eventually we, with the help of the five other schools, launched a satellite into space. I got exposed to this new sphere of leadership applications in the STEM field and I knew from there that this was my calling. I have always loved programming and with CubeSat, I was able to become a better programmer and software engineer. This incredible experience led me to become a better leader, make lasting friendships, launch a satellite in space, and most importantly led me to fall in love with Computer Science and Engineering. This project led me to take AP Computer Science and this further emphasized my passion for a career in STEM. Now, I am uploading Java YouTube videos so every student can fall in love with Computer Science and Engineering like I have. In future projects, I know there will be problems I haven't encountered; however with my continued determination and quick thinking, I will persevere. Failure enlightens. Knowledge is my goal. Problem-solving will serve as my map while I navigate through my life, as long as my love for Computer Science and Engineering shines bright.