FLL by Spencer

FLL by Spencer - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

I placed the robot on the table and pressed the central gray button on the EV3. I was wracked with anticipation, waiting to see if the countless hours spent designing, building, troubleshooting, and planning would pay off. The wheels spun as they drove off with the instructions I had coded. It worked! I love problem-solving and fixing things. Middle school's First Lego League (FLL) has wholly influenced my love for engineering. Here, I built Lego robots, learned how to code Python, and learned the value of perseverance. I also discovered friendships that I know will last me long after high school. I explored building trades, welding, and web design in high school to investigate my interests. I designed chairs and tables on a 3D printing program and designed website frameworks that I used or sold successfully. In my junior year, I signed up for an online class to explore more advanced web design; I was curious about generating an online infrastructure and building something tangible only on a computer screen. Working with my hands and building things from scraps, new materials, or on a computer has given me confidence and skills.

My interest in fixing things also feels good because it supports sustainability, and it really paid off when I rebuilt half the stairway in my house. The stairs entailed cutting the wood for the steps down to size, gluing each segment in place, and designing, building, and installing the handrail. I had many setbacks, and the project took months, but I eventually completed something I am proud of. In welding class, I joined metals to fix broken desks and damaged metal gates and designed interesting new parts for machines. I have even designed and fabricated anchors for a fishing company, which is especially satisfying because fishing is one of my favorite hobbies. I spend hours each winter tying flies while binging old black-and-white movies on the A&E channel. These activities, inside and outside the classroom, have helped me develop my interest in engineering. All of these activities have changed my thinking in small and big ways. I am often skeptical that I can accomplish the task, and I have been surprised and proud each time I complete a challenge. Using my hands has been rewarding and placed me around people and in activities that have not always been familiar; I enjoy finding what we have in common and sharing talents and information. Often, my peers who have interests in the trades - welding and wood shop - are not in my core academic classes, but they know how to think in different and exciting ways; this has been an important lesson and helped my thinking and problem-solving skills. Working side-by-side with anyone who enjoys computers, machinery, tying a fly, or fixing a structure is something I value, and often, I am taught something new - and I have to change my approach and thinking.

I am fascinated by building something that can constantly be improved upon. Today, the EV3 robot sits atop my desk as a constant reminder that perseverance is crucial to problem-solving. Finding creative solutions to people's problems is challenging and engrossing. I want to be an engineer who solves puzzles to help people live easier, safer lives.