diff --git a/wright-application/essays/stem.tex b/wright-application/essays/stem.tex index d2cba04..967a2c8 100644 --- a/wright-application/essays/stem.tex +++ b/wright-application/essays/stem.tex @@ -58,5 +58,5 @@ to fully utilize the research platforms and opportunities provided by AFRL. %//TODO: SHORTEN BOTH ABOVE?? \item % MIDI AND AUDIO \item % Debate congrews app - \item % Self LEarnign courses and LEet code, etc.?? + \item % Self LEarnign courses and LEet code, etc.?? \end{enumerate} \ No newline at end of file diff --git a/wright-application/main.pdf b/wright-application/main.pdf index 0a816ab..c7a58ea 100644 Binary files a/wright-application/main.pdf and b/wright-application/main.pdf differ diff --git a/wright-application/stem-essay/main.pdf b/wright-application/stem-essay/main.pdf index 60595e3..4af4dbe 100644 Binary files a/wright-application/stem-essay/main.pdf and b/wright-application/stem-essay/main.pdf differ diff --git a/wright-application/stem-essay/main.tex b/wright-application/stem-essay/main.tex index 1779abe..d8d1fd1 100644 --- a/wright-application/stem-essay/main.tex +++ b/wright-application/stem-essay/main.tex @@ -57,42 +57,41 @@ \vspace{12pt} +294 Squiggly red underlines. Nearly every line of my code had errors. Null +pointers, incompatible types, undefined variables, Gradle sync errors---I had +encountered them all. It was February 2024, my freshman year, and we had ten +minutes to take the field for our First Tech Challenge (FTC) League Finals. +My heart pounded as keys clattered beneath my flying fingers. My code was +broken, and for the finals, it had to work. The merciless clock ticked away, +and with seconds to go, I finally compiled the code. There was no time to +test, hardly any to breathe. We took the field, and my finger hovered over +the play button. Time paused. The buzzer sounded, and I pressed play. Success. +In two minutes and thirty seconds, we won. -294 Squiggly red underlines. Nearly every line of my code had errors. -Null pointers, incompatible types, undefined variables, Gradle sync errors---I -had encountered them all. It was February 2024, my freshman year, and we had -ten minutes to take the field for our First Tech Challenge (FTC) League Finals. -My heart pounded as keys clattered beneath my flying fingers. My code was broken, -and for the finals, it had to work. The merciless clock ticked away, and with -seconds to go, I finally compiled the code. There was no time to test, hardly -any to breathe. We took the field, and my finger hovered over the play button. -Time paused. The buzzer sounded, and I pressed play. Success. In two minutes -and thirty seconds, we won. - -Seven months earlier, I didn't know what a variable was. I was fully into music, -and programming wasn't even on my radar. When my friend started a robotics team, -I joined on a whim. My journey began with a Google search. Progress was -painstakingly slow; it took me two full months to make a motor turn. But -gradually, I became hooked. Like a sponge, I absorbed everything: tutorials, -documentation, and even Stack Overflow threads. Eventually, I taught myself -enough Java to become a functional FTC programmer. +Seven months earlier, I didn't know what a variable was. I was fully into +music, and programming was yet to cross my radar. When my friend started a +robotics team, I joined on a whim. It was that abrupt decision that started +my journey into robotics. Progress was painstakingly slow; it took me two +full months to make a motor turn. But gradually, I became hooked. Like a +sponge, I absorbed everything: tutorials, documentation, and even Stack +Overflow threads. Eventually, I taught myself enough Java to become a +functional FTC programmer. As the season progressed, we became a competitive team, and my knowledge was -expanding in parallel. On that competition day, something just clicked. The -joy I experienced wasn't just from our robot picking up and scoring pixels, -but from seeing my code produce tangible results. In that moment, I'd found -my calling. I was no longer just a high school student; I was a STEM student, -and I was ready to see where my code could take me. +expanding in parallel. On that competition day, something just clicked. It +wasn't the win that truly made me happy. It was the realization that my own +code produced tangible outputs. At that very moment, I knew that I wanted to +continue working in a STEM field, and I was ready to keep coding on. -But that readiness was tested in September 2024. Somewhat naively, I committed -to building a machine learning model to predict gait patterns in Parkinson's -Disease for my sophomore-year Science Fair project. The problem? I had no clue -how. So I dove in: Python syntax, NumPy arrays, signal filtering, feature -extraction, and model architectures. I had entered unfamiliar territory, and -each concept brought new confusion. After two months of relentless reading, -coding, and debugging, I managed to transform raw sensor data into a working -classification model. Somewhere between the first error message and the final -96\% accuracy, I had begun to absorb a new discipline. +But that readiness was tested in September 2024. Somewhat naively, I decided +to build a machine learning model to predict gait patterns in Parkinson's +Disease for my sophomore-year Science Fair project. The only problem is that +I had no clue how. So I dove in: Python syntax, NumPy arrays, signal filtering, +feature extraction, and model architectures. I had entered unfamiliar territory, +and each concept I learned brought new confusion. After two months of relentless +reading, coding, and debugging, I managed to transform raw sensor data into a +working classification model. Somewhere between the first error message and +the final 96\% accuracy, I had begun to absorb a new discipline. I could have stopped there, but I realized that a working model on my laptop wasn't going to help any Parkinson's patients, and I needed to embed my model @@ -109,18 +108,15 @@ to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), placing 3rd in Robotics and Intelligent Machines. What struck me most wasn't the placement, but the fact that six months earlier, I wouldn't have understood any of it. -Throughout high school, I've taught myself disciplines, from Java programming -to machine learning to circuit design. The Wright Scholar program offers an -opportunity to apply my knowledge to critical research. I'm drawn to AFRL's -Sensors Directorate, where I hope to deepen my understanding of signal -processing while contributing to sensor exploitation technologies. I'm equally -fascinated by the Human Performance Wing's work with multimodal sensing to -monitor and enhance human performance. What excites me most isn't just the -cutting-edge technology, but the chance to work alongside domain experts who -can accelerate my growth as an engineer and developer. Whether working with -sensor fusion or biomedical sensing, as a sponge eager to learn, AFRL is -exactly where I need to be. - - +Throughout high school, I've taught myself many disciplines, from FTC +programming in Java to designing circuits. The Wright Scholar program provides +an opportunity to apply my skills to current and critical research. I'm +intrigued by AFRL's Sensors Directorate, where I hope to deepen my understanding +of signal processing while contributing to sensor exploitation technologies. +I'm equally drawn to Human Performance Wing's work with multimodal sensing to +monitor and enhance human performance. Moreso, the chance to work alongside +domain experts who can accelerate my growth as an engineer and developer is +invaluable to me. Whether working with sensor fusion or biomedical sensing, +as a sponge eager to learn, AFRL is exactly where I need to be. \end{document} \ No newline at end of file