It started with the 12th-grade capstone for my track–mechanical engineering. In groups of three, the class had to propose an original solution to an unsolved problem or an improvement to an inadequate solution. My group’s first idea was a fidget toy for teens and adults because they are mainly associated with children. As it turns out, there were plenty of fidget toys being sold online for older audiences. Abandoning that idea, the next one was improving a hands-free bathroom lock. How exactly? We left our future selves to figure that out, and of course, it did not go well. We had no clue on how to make a feasible and affordable improvement. As we moved on from that predicament, a baby stroller umbrella attachment came to mind, but it existed, and once again, we had to start over. Saying this capstone was a living nightmare is an understatement. At times, my group members and I wanted to cry because it felt like we were not making any progress. There was never a day we would not work on our capstones, so I dreaded going to school more than ever. However, giving up was not an option. We had to set an example for the future seniors because the previous seniors (in engineering) did a horrendous capstone. But to do this, we needed to FIND THAT IDEA. I searched day in and day out for problems to solve while encouraging my group members to do the same. With the capstone committee also pressuring my group for a product idea, we finally settled on a vertical outlet extension device. The project certainly took off from that point on. We were almost two months behind on work–market & patent research to be exact. It may not sound like much, but each group member had to find three patented products along with three past/current solutions that were similar to our idea and write a summary or critique respectively. Keep in mind that we did this while writing a literature review. Despite all that writing, we managed to catch up within a month! The secret behind this was to step up as a leader, which was a personal challenge as a timid person. For example, there were many times I put off telling my group members to do a task because I didn’t want to bother them, leaving me to do the work instead. Without a leader, my group members were not exactly sure what they had to do. I eventually decided that enough was enough and took action. I started by assigning roles for my group members and keeping them on track with deadlines. Thankfully that was all my group needed to head in the right direction. As much as I disliked it, this capstone has been a valuable learning experience. Testing my patience and persistence made me realize the importance of these qualities for an engineer. I also no longer feel intimidated by the thought of doing a college capstone. And last but not least, our final presentation was a success, allowing us to graduate as Class of 2022!

Essay 1: Being the oldest sibling teaches you independence. Even though my brother and I did not get along for most of our childhoods, I was always there when he needed homework help. While helping with homework did not take long to become annoying, I could not just deny him the help he needed just because I did not have that privilege when I was his age. Depending on no one but myself during my middle school and high school journey was a lot of hard work, although it made me into the person I am today. It all started in 7th grade: seeing straight As on my report card for the first time made me feel proud of myself so I did not stop there. Then, in 8th grade, I heard about a STEM school in the district and decided to apply there. I initially wanted to become a doctor but decided against it after taking biomed courses. Instead, I had a newfound interest in engineering; as of now, I want to become a computer engineer. The final project in my Introduction to Engineering Design class brought my attention to engineering. The task was to make an automata toy. Building the automata and coming up with ideas on what to print was fun despite facing minor setbacks. My group 3D modeled and printed a slushy cup (our automata was a slushy machine). Nevertheless, this project taught me that engineering is not as boring as I thought. Essay 2: I find computers fascinating, specifically how hardware and software come together to build a machine that can do virtually anything. Interestingly enough, I was not always interested in pursuing a career in technology because it seemed complicated–I later changed my mind as the fulfillment I will receive is more important than the difficulties I will face. After I graduate from college with a degree in computer engineering, I plan to work at a tech company and use the experience from this field to start my own business where I build/repair computers. Once I have a stable business, I plan to distribute/repair technology for low-income families as no kid should have to worry about how they will get their homework done on time. While there is the option of using a school laptop, they are not always the fastest or capable of running the programs students need to use, giving parents no choice but to buy their kid a new laptop/computer. However, not every family has the money to do that, and I want to help them out as I saw how frustrating online school was for some of my classmates with the immense lagging on Zoom and the inability to have more than three tabs open at once. Also, school laptops can restrict websites at any moment. My school district blocked countless websites on their Chromebooks due to students not using them for educational purposes. Ironically, you cannot do homework anymore, showing that school computers are unreliable. Essay 3: I once started the marking period with an F in math class. I could not understand the lesson on circles and rather than ask for help, I planned to get through it until I got home and would be able to teach it to myself. Unfortunately, there was an exit ticket at the end of class that also counted as the first grade for the marking period. I was upset when I saw my grade was a 50, but I decided to ask my teacher if we could go over what I got wrong—she said yes. Going to office hours was not as scary as I thought and ever since then, I do not hesitate to stay after school for additional help.