Chasing Childhood Dreams of Space: Rebecca’s Story

Ever since the second grade, Rebecca knew she wanted to do something related to the solar system. As she got older, learning about rovers, satellites, and robotics captivated her. With dreams of one day being a robotics engineer at NASA, Rebecca is excited to meet other people just as excited about STEM as she is while she studies Mechanical Engineering at UC Davis.

College: University of California, Davis, studying Mechanical Engineering

• What inspired you to pursue a career in STEM or a trade, and what excites you most about this path?

  I’ve been interested in STEM/engineering since second grade, when my class learned about the solar system. Something about rovers, satellites, and robotics fascinated me. Up until about 7th grade, when someone would ask me, “What do you want to be?” I would always answer “a robotics engineer at NASA.” Of course, this interest has expanded over the years; however, the passion has stayed with me.

  I think just being around people with similar interests excites me. I don’t really know many individuals, especially any people my age, who share the same passions as me.

• How do you see this scholarship helping you achieve your career goals, and what difference do you hope to make in your field?

  Without financial aid, I would not be able to pursue higher education. This scholarship will allow me to focus more on my studies and be more successful in earning my degree.

  Regarding the difference I hope to make in my field, I aim to give back to the communities that have supported me in my journey and inspire other individuals to pursue careers in STEM. Without these organizations and groups, I wouldn’t have found my interest in STEM and decided to pursue a career in engineering.

• Who has been your biggest supporter or role model throughout your education?

  My biggest supporter has probably been my mother. She has always been there for me, whether that be through academic struggles, looking to the future, or just lending an ear and shoulder. She might not have all the answers, but she always does her absolute best to support me and my goals.

  Apart from her, my club advisors and my teachers have played a big role in my education thus far.

  I am very fortunate and grateful to have so many people supporting me in my journey!

• What are you most excited about as you begin your college or trade school journey?

  As I begin my college path, I'm most excited about meeting many new people and trying different things. I hope to join various clubs to pursue my interests further and advance my experience collaborating in an engineering environment. I'm excited for all the opportunities that lie ahead of me!

• What’s one fun fact about you that people might not expect from someone pursuing a career in your field?

  I have danced for my local studio for the past three years, taking jazz, ballet, and pointe classes. I enjoy dancing thoroughly and hope to continue this activity as I attend college. There are so many different styles of dance I would like to try!

• If you could instantly learn any skill before starting college or trade school, what would it be?

  If I could learn any skill, it would probably be time management. While I have fairly decent time management now, it’d benefit me to have some better skills. With time management, I would be able to balance school, life, and work better in college. I’ve heard that engineering has a heavy course load. Being able to balance my studies with extracurriculars and personal time is a must, as my time will be stretched thin.

• If you had an entire day to do whatever you wanted—no school or work—how would you spend it?

  Hmm…this is a difficult one. I could think of so many ways to spend a day. The first idea that comes to mind, however, is that a day trip to San Francisco would be fun. I would spend the day leisurely wandering the city, visiting various locations with my friends.