BackStory

As a kid, I once announced to my kindergarten class that I planned on becoming the first female president of the United States of America. I loved history and wanted to make my mark by helping others. Years passed, and my interests shifted. I wanted to become an astronaut, then a teacher, then a scientist, then a writer, then a doctor. While none of these careers seem related, in my head they followed a linear path. I like science, I like people. I wanted work that was meaningful, that allowed me to learn and help others. In high school, despite saying I wanted to be a doctor, I had quickly developed a passion for robotics. After a summer course led to a first place award at the Regional Intel Science Fair for my project, I discovered that there was funding but no robotics program in my high school. I worked with the administration to build an FTC (First Technical Challenge) Robotics Program. We created two teams the first year that both made it to the state level, which expanded to two teams alongside a full class the second year, one of which made it to the World Championship in St. Louis.