Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
Who would have thought we would be soaring between the clouds and cutting through the wind? So out of place yet so perfectly mesmerizing. Nothing has fascinated me more than flight since as far back as I can remember. As high school came around, I was able to find people and resources to help me invest my time into this passion. Many students characterize high school as a stepping-stone to college or a place to become mature. While those are perfect representations, I believe it to be a place to shape you towards a career. This is what I believe in and so during my freshman, sophomore and junior years of high school, I decided to gain exposure into areas related to aeronautics and forge a path for what I wanted to do.
I worked on many different projects these past three years. I did most of these projects by myself, like a motorized boat and the RoboCup robotics competition, learning from wherever I could. These various exposures were like puzzle pieces that I had to put together to see the bigger picture. However, there was one in particular that pointed me in the right direction.
One day, Mr. Strungis, my C.A.D. teacher, told me about how much drones are going to impact our future. Although he said this casually, I distinctively remember this being the first time I started delving myself into the topic.
During the beginning of my sophomore year, I started building a drone from the ground up. This would be a drone that consisted of many capabilities like hovering and geo-fencing. Though I never thought to complete it, I always wondered what it would be like to make one. This idea caught attention of some of my teachers, who helped me through every step of the journey.
My typical day would consist of working on the drone and/or watching drone related YouTube videos. I have contacted authors and video creators to gain expert opinions on key components on several occasions in order to strengthen my knowledge on hardware components like the gyroscope, accelerometer and GPS connectivity. I started visiting the library on a weekly basis to read books about motion physics and aeronautical engineering. While researching on Java, C++ and gyroscope programming, I built a sprawling library on Github that helped non-programmers with a head start.
After months of working towards my goal, I decided to pursue this area of interest further in college by majoring in aeronautical engineering.
Though this endeavor has helped me and given me a clear path forward, I got distracted and missing out on core high school possessions. While my grades may be lower than some, I have gained invaluable experience on this journey. Looking back, I would want to have done things differently, however I am not regretful. I am happy that I was in the right place and time with the right people who were able to help me find myself.
This experience, in retrospect, has been invaluable to me. It gave me a niche and applicable exposure. I hope to make a difference in the 21st century.