My parents didn't grow up with much and couldn't accomplish the goals they set for themselves. They gave my siblings and me a stable home and granted us opportunities they had never fathomed. After graduating high school, I knew I wanted to make a difference in society. Engineering was the building block for society and that is why I chose to pursue a degree in STEM. My mom was granted the opportunity to attend college on a full-ride scholarship to one of the best schools in our state. Due to unprecedented familial issues, she was forced to pause her education and help raise her siblings. At some point, she decided it was time to raise a family. Unfortunately, she didn't have a chance to complete her degree while we were young. Raising five kids was not the easiest job and it took a toll on her. My mom would tell us of the opportunities she missed because she hadn't completed her bachelor's degree. She wasn't able to get her dream job without this education. I knew I didn't want to work and stress as my mom had so I needed to get my degree. As a child, I always had an interest in toys and how they worked. Rather than playing with them like a normal kid, I was taking them apart and learning about the intricate parts. This was a regular occurrence when I got something new. This was no different than when I got to high school. I became interested in technology and design. I became a member of the school's MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement) club and fell in love. Engineering was this new discovery that I fell in love with. It was the same feeling I had as a kid and this realization was what motivated me to pursue it further. I started college in the fall of 2016 and began pursuing a degree in petroleum engineering. I knew there was a need for energy as it is what drives the world. Without dependable energy, we wouldn’t have modern hospitals or safe food. Energy is the reason our modern society exists and can flourish. This was a primary motivator to obtain a degree in petroleum engineering. Though my ambitions were high, much like my mom had before, I was forced to pause my education due to external factors. My dad was contributing financial support for my education because he wanted me to succeed. Unfortunately, he fell ill in early 2019 and couldn’t work as he had before. His business went under and couldn’t support our family. I left school and began working to help my parents stay afloat. I began saving money for my inevitable return to continue my education. I began saving money and was able to reenroll in 2023. I have been supporting myself through college and have one year remaining to complete my degree. My mom has also been given the opportunity to complete her degree after all these years. She is still my primary motivator and the reason I can continue my education.

Being a non-traditional student has heightened my ambition and determination to complete my degree. I was enrolled in 2016 and recently reenrolled in the summer of 2023. My previous college experience was marked by challenges that significantly impacted my academic journey. Unfortunately, my father fell sick in 2019 and I could not continue my studies. I began working full-time to help support my family as my father could no longer do so. I believe this hiatus has led and will lead me further to accomplishing my goal as a first-gen student. I looked at this obstacle as a benefit to explore other avenues and broaden my perspectives. During my hiatus, I worked as an automotive technician and accumulated valuable skills and insights. Despite this diversion from my academics, I remained committed to completing my degree. One of the most prominent challenges I faced when deciding to complete my education was returning to classes after four years. I had concerns about keeping pace with my peers who had more recent exposure to course materials. Despite these worries, I approached the situation with determination and diligence. This break allowed me to return to my studies with a more mature outlook, embracing a proactive mindset allowing me to treat my studies as a full-time commitment. Before my studies in the fall, it was required I complete two courses during the summer. Initially, I was terrified as I did not know what would come of these classes. I was working full-time and feared I was not capable of keeping pace with my peers. Despite this concern, I concentrated on my coursework and put forth all the effort I could. I was able to obtain A’s in both courses and this further gave me the confidence I needed to succeed. Due to my hiatus, I was placed at a disadvantage when looking for internships. My peers either had prior internship experience or maintained exceptional grades. When it came to the job fair I could not find an internship despite the efforts I had put forth. Despite this, I prioritized my schoolwork above all else and understood the need to perform exceptionally well. This concentrated effort granted me great success during my first full semester back. I attained a 4.0 GPA, something I had never done before. I was able to duplicate this outcome in the most recent semester as well. This accomplishment highlighted my ability to not only meet but exceed academic expectations. Along with this accomplishment, I was able to obtain a summer internship because of my perseverance and dedication to my academics. My journey, which was marked by perseverance and a commitment to continuous improvement, serves as evidence of my resilience and adaptability. Along with these accomplishments, I have found joy in teaching those who struggle with course material. I was able to learn the material and tutoring others allowed me to ensure I understood it entirely. Through these efforts, I have begun to consider a career in academia as it brings me joy to teach. I plan to work in the industry for several years before this as it is a complaint I hear from other students constantly. Many professors lack professional experience outside of the university. I believe being a non-traditional student has made my college experience better. I now approach college more maturely, allocating my efforts towards academics. I’m grateful I had to leave school as it has opened greater opportunities than I previously imagined.

There are numerous challenges the energy industry faces, especially oil and gas. One of the largest challenges is the transition to renewable energy. The issue lies in the complete conversion to clean energy rather than an integration and coexistence with non-renewables such as gas and coal. The expectation is to eliminate oil and gas and depend on renewables solely. The United States is often compared to countries like Germany who obtain significant amounts of energy from renewable sources. The most important factor often overlooked is that Germany designed renewable sources as secondary to non-renewables, this measure being taken to compensate for reliability issues. This reliability is one of the most important qualities our energy sources should have. We depend on energy too much in the modern world to begin having issues with reliability. Modern medicine is heavily reliant on this sufficient supply of energy to simply operate. When evaluating the effects of non-renewables the, media and Congress seem to focus on the negatives. Gas is the cheapest and most reliable source of energy we currently have. Despite this, Congress desires to create legislation eliminating the use of non-renewables. Oil and gas continue to produce energy on a cloudy day whereas solar cannot. Wind turbines depend on wind currents while oil and gas do not. There is no argument that the future should have a system incorporating renewables, but it should not depend on them entirely. One of the challenges the oil and gas industry faces is poor publicity. The BP oil spill of 2010 is one of the most significant tragedies that many think when discussing oil and gas. Most of the public simply saw that a big oil company made a mess and it gave bad publicity for all operators alike. For many years, it was deemed those in the industry did not care for the environment and only desired to make money. Contrary to this, the modern industry contains standards that prove otherwise yet these values are not conveyed well to the public. The reality is that the industry is still recovering from this tragedy and the publicity remains. The ‘green movement’ is another contributor to this poor publicity of oil and gas. Fossil fuels are deemed ‘bad’ and renewables are deemed ‘good’. Numerous college students do not desire to work in oil and gas because of the propaganda that has been relayed. This misinformation is not only conveyed from media outlets but also by the institutions themselves. Universities that offer programs for the oil and gas sector have administrations that discourage students from obtaining degrees in these fields. These future professionals are being driven away due to an increase in propaganda. Students are taught fossil fuels are going to be eradicated and renewables are the future. These factors all contribute to a lack of interest in the oil and gas sector. The energy industry must combat this narrative as it will hinder the industry's growth if not addressed promptly.