I am interested in aviation because I have always loved flying. The first time I flew on an airplane is my favorite memory. Since I was little I have been obsessed with planes and how they work. I have been in an Aerospace manufacturing and Maintenance technician course for my last two years of high school. This class at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center has made me fall in love with aviation more than ever before. The passion I have for aviation is unimaginable. I am going into Mechanical engineering and minoring in aerospace at Montana State University this fall. With my degree, I hope to work in Aerospace Engineering and help to further advance the aerospace industry. There are so many possibilities when it comes to the sky and I'm so excited to be a part of that. I want to work my hardest and set myself up for the best possible future in the field of aviation. As a up coming first-generation college student, I have had to overcome a lot. Ultimately family has inspired me to pursue aviation. My dad is an airframe mechanic at Boeing, my grandma is a manager at Boeing, and many other of my family members work in this industry. My family was skeptical of my degree at first, I could get a job with my dad if I wanted to without a degree but that is not what I want. I am not pursuing this industry because anyone told me to and I think that's why I love it so much. My Aerospace class at Sno-Isle TECH Skills Center has given me so many opportunities to be involved in my community. This year I have helped collect items for a hygiene kit drive, raised money for homelessness, collected food for the local food bank, and more. This industry has given me so many valuable relationships and I am forever grateful for it and my community within the local aviation field. At school, we work hard at networking with companies to further our involvement in the aviation field. I have visited almost every local aviation company in Washington State and met thousands of people who share the same passion as me. I love connecting with people with similar mindsets and goals as me. My goal with my degree is to work hard, meet new people, and find even more happiness in the field of aviation.

Success to me means finding happiness and enjoyment in working hard. Having the ability to work my hardest to be able to set goals and achieve them. Success to me looks like providing for myself and my future. I believe success does not come from waiting around, from taking action on the simple things I am working to achieve my goals. My goal is to become a mechanical engineer and I have been working to achieve this since I started kindergarten without even knowing it. I have always been a hard worker and if I wasn't I don't know where I would be today. Success to me also means knowing when to ask for help. Mental health to me is very important, if I had gotten the proper help when I needed it my GPA could have set me up for my future even further than it already has. I am a huge advocate for teens; a step to their success is seeking help with mental health. Going through these years where I did not enjoy success is the reason I believe success requires happiness and enjoyment. Regret is something I often feel when I think back on my success in high school. Not because I didn't achieve my academic goals but because I did not enjoy myself while succeeding until my senior year. Working hard does not require me to give up my happiness. Coming from a very hardworking family, who had nothing handed to them, set me up for success more than I could have ever imagined. Teaching me to use my resources wisely and to their best abilities. Struggling is not something my family is proud of but we are proud that we gained success in working together to live an enjoyable life. The lessons I have learned through life have allowed me to strive for good grades and prepared me for my future. Going to college is scary for most but I think I have succeeded in preparing myself in the best possible ways. Though I have not achieved my final goal of becoming a mechanical engineer, I think I am set up to achieve this goal. I think there is always room to succeed even when you feel successful in something. As a person, friend, or co-worker there is always room to grow and get better. This opportunity will take me one step further into achieving my goals. As a first-generation college student who was discouraged and told that college wasn't worth it, opportunities like this mean the world to me. This opportunity will not only help me achieve my goal of becoming a mechanical engineer but will also affect my future after college. This opportunity will help me change the minds of my family and friends. Succession is what I make of it and I will work as hard as I possibly can for my future. This application is just one step in my journey to succession, so thank you for giving me this opportunity.