Currently a graduate student in Aerospcae Engineering at the University of Central Florida, I started my interest in Aerospace Engineering in 2009 as an eight-year old. Fueled by my slight obsession with the Space Race of the 1960s, I was determined to learn everying I could about the history of space exploration and the engineering behind it. I redecorated my bedroom to match the themes of space, painting a dark navy color on the ceiling and atmospheric gray on the walls. I glued small reflective beads to the ceiling in constellation patterns, hung blackout curtains over the windows, and hung posters of Space Shuttles and images from the 2009 NASA calendar on the wall, including a framed Saturn V puzzle I had assembled. In addition to the constellations, I hung small LEGOs of the Command and Service Module, Lunar Lander, Millennium Falcon, and an X-Wing Fighter from Star Wars using fishing line.
In high school, I chose to attend a magnet school 30 minutes away from home that had a NAF certified Project Lead the Way Engineering Academy. Here students were introduced to the concepts and principles across engineering with specific subjects; Aerospace, Civil, and Digital Electronics at an Advanced Placement level. I was introduced to For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition my freshman year, where I competed at the state and global level across all four years of high school. Through my time participating as a student in FIRST Robotics Competition, I improved my leadership, sportsmanship, and teamwork skills while obtaining new ones like Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition.
I also enjoyed volunteering for FIRST North Carolina assembling and disassembling fields at local competitions and assembling the final field in Minute Maid Park at the Houston World Championship my senior year. Upon entering college, I continued to volunteer at on and off season events across North Carolina through Field Assembly/Disassembly and Field Reset. I mentored a team local to Slyva, NC where I could no longer design and build the robots, but instead stimulate current student's minds to aid in the brainstorming processes, and assisting them when they would ask for help during a challenging problem. Mentors push students to take on more challenging, but achievable tasks to build their technical toolboxes for future challenges and to drive the capabilites of the team forward each year. It is the job of the mentors to teach students about the safety of handling manufacturing machinerly like Band Saws, Drill PResses, Table Saws, etc. and spot the students when this equipment is in use. I continue to volunteer with FIRST Robotics Competiton here in Orlando, FL.
In my freshman year of college, I participated with the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band to perform 'Believe', the 2019 WCU half time show. We performed the music of John Bon Jovi, John Lenon, Hourney, Stevie Wonder, and tunes from 'The Greatest Showman' compressed into a ten and a half minute show twice at each home football game. At the end of the season we marched in the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In my freetime, I enjoy going to the gym and playing video games.