Belonging by Katherine

Belonging by Katherine - April 2024 Scholarship Essay

I have known since sixth grade that I want to be an engineer. With nothing but a toilet paper roll, felt, and old Lego train parts, I worked as tirelessly as an eleven-year-old could to make a small robotic cat. Mr. Fluffywhiskers was my creation, and he came equipped with a leash and headlights. This was the first time I recall feeling truly inspired. Following the completion of Mr. Fluffywhiskers, I spent all of my free time tackling any small engineering project I could manage. All I wanted to do was innovate, so when I got older and my dad said that I should start taking pre-engineering classes, I felt an instant sense of belonging: a feeling that completely changed my life.

Being that I am none of the describing characteristics of the town I reside in, I have always felt out of place. Worried about the judgment I would face, especially if people knew about my queer identity, I withdrew myself from any community events. Always seeing this as a character flaw, I thought it was my responsibility to change and fit in with my community. However, when I began exploring engineering, meeting entire groups of people who are “different,” I realized that it was those differences that made me such an integral part of my community. When a community is composed solely of people who think, feel, and act the same way, change is difficult. It is unwelcome. Engineering invites this change; it needs this change to survive.

When I got to high school and started taking classes in my school’s engineering pathway, this longing to make a difference burned even brighter, and I started to develop clarity on how I wanted to channel my engineering interests. As my sister pursued her neuroscience degree, I began to take interest in the brain as well. The more I looked into it, the more I felt a desire to merge these interests, thus discovering neuroengineering.

Neuroengineering is a rapidly growing discipline that thrives on innovation. Through this career, I hope to bring a new mind that the career so desperately needs. I want to spend a large portion of my career working in research, with the desire to have this research change how we view the connection between technology and the brain. Above my pursuits in innovation, I also hope to help others find their home in engineering, much like I did. Through my participation in the ambassador program run through my district’s career center, I have already been given this opportunity. Getting to see the kindled flame of passion burn in these children's hearts and minds when they realize they can pursue engineering has provided me with an outlet to realize just how much engineering means to me. Throughout my career, I want to continue this encouragement of young and old minds alike to find this passion. I also hope that, as I continue to grow as an engineer, I will feel the same sense of belonging I spent the majority of my life longing for, while not falling into the trap of being just like everyone else. I want to be more than just a part of something greater; I want to become that ‘something greater.’