Have you noticed how over the past decade cars, trucks, and sport utility vehicles have cycled from boxy corners to rounded ones and, ultimately, back to the tried-and-true cube? When the auto industry first made the transition back in the 1990s, it was in an effort to make cars more efficient. However, with the exponential development of new technologies, engineers have reimagined the designs of the past while retaining the same efficiency and, in some cases, giving automobiles unprecedented fuel economy. I want to be a part of this burgeoning industry. Ever since I was a small child I’ve had a fascination with automobiles. My second birthday was firetruck themed, arguably typical as many small children have a love of big vehicles. In my case, though, this love grew into a passion which has led me to this career path. I often spend hours researching cars and their customization, watching countless car reviews to learn about the newest changes and how far vehicular technologies have come. My passion drove me to volunteer my time over this past summer, working with a family friend who is the creator and owner of a 5,400 horsepower championship-winning pulling tractor. This allowed me to advance my knowledge about how engines work; I also learned that it is perfectly acceptable to get a little greasy while I learn. Much of my free time is spent reading about cars, watching automotive YouTubers, building and pricing dream cars; I even play car-focused video games in my down time. I can spend hours without getting bored, especially when I am learning about the intricacies of automotive engineering. There are so many moving parts in a vehicle that do entirely different jobs; the complex systematic design has always fascinated me, and for many years I’ve known that I’ve wanted to turn that fascination into a career. One day my dream will come true, seeing a car rolling down the road, being able to tell the owner that I was part of the team that engineered it. I love surrounding myself with people who are as passionate about this field as I am. I can spend hours on end talking about specifications, about which car looks or performs the best. If I especially love talking about cars with my dad, the man who founded and fueled my automotive obsession. Ironically, I may have actually exceeded his knowledge of modern vehicles. However, his knowledge of vintage cars is far superior to mine (naturally, though, as they were the ones he experienced while growing up). Much of my initial understanding came from visiting and streaming countless hours of automotive YouTube videos (it’s not all just clips of cute cats, you know!). At the end of the day, automotive engineering is really about people, not just cars. To succeed, you have to understand the wants and needs of the common person, how they can be delivered in the complex inner-workings of a well-designed vehicle. A family of four can hardly fit in a modern Honda Pilot for a vacation, an automobile marketed as a family SUV. When I finally get my chance at the helm, I hope to be able to correct the automotive sins of yesteryear delivering an incredible experience, one I am proud to design.