“You’ve been on that thing for hours, you’re going to hurt your eyes” my mother told me. It was another day of the week playing Minecraft and continuing building my farm for my modern mansion. Growing up, I’ve always been drawn to computers specifically and loved coding games. As a female raised in a Mexican-Salvadorean household, a job in STEM was never fully expected. It was set for me to be a housewife in a large house who cleans and cooks all day as most women in my family have. However, although these traits have made life easier, I want to make a real difference in the STEM world, specifically in technology. I dream of being a software engineer and advance technology in ways that help companies help people. I personally have never seen myself in any other field and know I am passionate enough to pursue this fully. I am passionate about STEM because of the potential it has to make a positive impact on the world. STEM allows us to create solutions to global problems, from developing new technologies to improving health care and education for ALL people. I plan to make a positive impact on the world through my STEM career by creating solutions that make a difference in people's lives or lifestyle. STEM, overall, is the reason why the world has evolved! Through the books I’ve read, I’ve learned about the importance of being able to think critically and solve problems quickly. This has shaped my goals by inspiring me to develop my skills in problem-solving and critical thinking. Additionally, I’ve learned about the importance of collaboration and working together to create something bigger than ourselves. STEM is a field that brings together a diverse range of knowledge, skills, and perspectives, and it is this combination that I believe makes it so powerful. I believe that STEM can help create a better world, as it provides solutions to a variety of global challenges. I plan to use these skills to work with other individuals and organizations to create solutions that make a real difference in the world whether it’s programming games to put a smile on children’s faces, or developing software for hospitals to those in need.

"Oh my gosh, a new village!" I exclaimed as I walked upon working blacksmiths and traders. During my childhood, the touch of the thick keys on the mechanical keyboard excited me. The sound and the click below my fingertips were almost addictive. I was fascinated with games, how games were made, watching games, and the overall technical aspect of it all as a kid; and no, this was not limited to the simple villages and biomes in Minecraft. Sitting down and messing with different parts of the computer was what I did for hours each day. As I got older, I've grown a broader interest in technology overall and what I could make of it. I love being hands-on and in control of a project or creation, and researched lessons on coding through different boot camps. Being the oldest daughter in a Latino household, I never had much time to thoroughly pour 100% of my time into learning the ways of coding, digital arts, or overall tech as it was my responsibility to keep the house in order and take care of my younger siblings. However, this field of hobby and work is the only one that entirely interests me. Technology has consistently fascinated me regardless of other careers that were envisioned for me. All in all, furthering my education involving technology is an opportunity I know I would take full advantage of. Furthermore, I have always had the dream of working in companies I adored growing up such as Riot Games or Google, or in entertainment industries such as Netflix. Game design preferably has been a dream of mine since I was a child. I was told I would grow out of this interest as I became older, but to this day it's something that would fulfill me. It's something I know I would be completely dedicated to learning. I yearn to be the people behind the screens that captivated me during my childhood. After I graduate high school with the highest honors, I will pursue a bachelor's degree in a technology-related major from a 4 year university. I am incredibly dedicated to making my younger self happy, and I know I will conquer the obstacles of technology with my resilience. Figuring out my way through technology is something I know I will be passionate about or something I will succeed in whether that's through programming, designing, or engineering.