I am a senior at McQuaid Jesuit High School, hoping to continue my journey in STEM by studying aerospace engineering in college.

I have always loved learning, particularly when it relates to the STEM fields. I first discovered my love for learning through my mother, who was a high school chemistry teacher before I was born. Throughout my childhood she did many fun projects and experiments at home with me. Whether it was explaining capillary action with two glasses of water and a paper towel or telling stories of how she accidentally lit the ceiling of her lab on fire, my mom managed to captivate my attention and instill in me a love for all things STEM. My father also played an important role in my developing interest in STEM, teaching me basic skills in a variety of disciplines, from carpentry to engine repair, allowing me to develop a strong understanding of tools and how things work. Through this instruction my father unwittingly created a monster with an unquenchable love for creating and improving things. The combination of these two influences formed a strong desire in me to become a person who turned scientific ideas into actual objects, a job I would later come to know as an engineer. 

I am currently planning on pursuing a major in aerospace engineering with a minor in robotics, mechatronics, or manufacturing technology and it is my eventual plan to earn a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. I have always been fascinated by airplanes and rockets for several major reasons. First, I greatly appreciate the immense complexity and immaculate precision that they represent. Second, I find the employment and careful control of innately chaotic systems and events to be enthralling. Finally, almost every innovation or device that comes out of aerospace engineering is designed to endure the most extreme conditions possible and therefore designed to the highest standards, a challenge I find greatly appealing.

In addition to my STEM interests, I have been a Varsity rower for the majority of my high school career and have been lucky enough to compete in large regattas like the Head of the Charles and Head of the Schuylkill. I am also an outdoor enthusiast who loves camping, hiking, and white-water kayaking. I have done extensive hiking and camping in the Adirondacks and continue to make progress on my goal to visit all the national parks.