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Essay V3

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Keshav Anand
2026-01-10 18:54:55 -06:00
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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. Seven months earlier, I didn't know what a variable was. I was fully into
Null pointers, incompatible types, undefined variables, Gradle sync errors---I music, and programming was yet to cross my radar. When my friend started a
had encountered them all. It was February 2024, my freshman year, and we had robotics team, I joined on a whim. It was that abrupt decision that started
ten minutes to take the field for our First Tech Challenge (FTC) League Finals. my journey into robotics. Progress was painstakingly slow; it took me two
My heart pounded as keys clattered beneath my flying fingers. My code was broken, full months to make a motor turn. But gradually, I became hooked. Like a
and for the finals, it had to work. The merciless clock ticked away, and with sponge, I absorbed everything: tutorials, documentation, and even Stack
seconds to go, I finally compiled the code. There was no time to test, hardly Overflow threads. Eventually, I taught myself enough Java to become a
any to breathe. We took the field, and my finger hovered over the play button. functional FTC programmer.
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.
As the season progressed, we became a competitive team, and my knowledge was As the season progressed, we became a competitive team, and my knowledge was
expanding in parallel. On that competition day, something just clicked. The expanding in parallel. On that competition day, something just clicked. It
joy I experienced wasn't just from our robot picking up and scoring pixels, wasn't the win that truly made me happy. It was the realization that my own
but from seeing my code produce tangible results. In that moment, I'd found code produced tangible outputs. At that very moment, I knew that I wanted to
my calling. I was no longer just a high school student; I was a STEM student, continue working in a STEM field, and I was ready to keep coding on.
and I was ready to see where my code could take me.
But that readiness was tested in September 2024. Somewhat naively, I committed But that readiness was tested in September 2024. Somewhat naively, I decided
to building a machine learning model to predict gait patterns in Parkinson's to build 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 Disease for my sophomore-year Science Fair project. The only problem is that
how. So I dove in: Python syntax, NumPy arrays, signal filtering, feature I had no clue how. So I dove in: Python syntax, NumPy arrays, signal filtering,
extraction, and model architectures. I had entered unfamiliar territory, and feature extraction, and model architectures. I had entered unfamiliar territory,
each concept brought new confusion. After two months of relentless reading, and each concept I learned brought new confusion. After two months of relentless
coding, and debugging, I managed to transform raw sensor data into a working reading, coding, and debugging, I managed to transform raw sensor data into a
classification model. Somewhere between the first error message and the final working classification model. Somewhere between the first error message and
96\% accuracy, I had begun to absorb a new discipline. 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 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 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, 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. 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 Throughout high school, I've taught myself many disciplines, from FTC
to machine learning to circuit design. The Wright Scholar program offers an programming in Java to designing circuits. The Wright Scholar program provides
opportunity to apply my knowledge to critical research. I'm drawn to AFRL's an opportunity to apply my skills to current and critical research. I'm
Sensors Directorate, where I hope to deepen my understanding of signal intrigued by AFRL's Sensors Directorate, where I hope to deepen my understanding
processing while contributing to sensor exploitation technologies. I'm equally of signal processing while contributing to sensor exploitation technologies.
fascinated by the Human Performance Wing's work with multimodal sensing to I'm equally drawn to Human Performance Wing's work with multimodal sensing to
monitor and enhance human performance. What excites me most isn't just the monitor and enhance human performance. Moreso, the chance to work alongside
cutting-edge technology, but the chance to work alongside domain experts who domain experts who can accelerate my growth as an engineer and developer is
can accelerate my growth as an engineer and developer. Whether working with invaluable to me. Whether working with sensor fusion or biomedical sensing,
sensor fusion or biomedical sensing, as a sponge eager to learn, AFRL is as a sponge eager to learn, AFRL is exactly where I need to be.
exactly where I need to be.
\end{document} \end{document}