From Childhood Curiosity to a Professional Vocation by Jose - January 2026 Scholarship Essay by Jose David

From Childhood Curiosity to a Professional Vocation by Jose - January 2026 Scholarship Essay by Jose David - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

I am a first-generation college student, tall, Latino, thin, and currently passionate about Mechanical Engineering. As a child, I used to play with the brand of Hot Wheels cars in the living room, racing them against each other, and I loved imitating the sounds of the cars with my mouth as I competed with them. I remember wanting to study a career related to vehicles back then. I also really enjoyed taking apart toys like the remote-controlled cars my mother gave me, because I was curious about how they worked mechanically and what was inside those beautiful objects.

This got me into a lot of trouble with my mother, but she didn't understand my love for discovering how each toy worked. Then, when I tried to put them back together, I couldn't get all the pieces to fit back in place, and the toy was completely ruined because it no longer worked.

As I grew older, I developed skills that helped me become a detail-oriented, organized, open-minded, and dexterous person. These strengths helped me love what I was learning every day. So, I made a scrapbook representing the most beautiful stages of my life, which helped me visualize what I would be like professionally, as I have attended different car meets, where my interest in cars has been further awakened.

At these car events, I have observed different models and brands, and I have paid special attention to how the engines sound and the mechanisms that make them work, which has influenced my curiosity to understand the engineering behind each vehicle, leading me to choose a career in Mechanical Engineering.

Becoming the next winner of the Varsity Tutors Scholarship would inspire young people and help Hispanics find their inner child's vocation of what they would like to learn and apply in the future.