My passion for civil engineering stems from childhood experiences, such as "bring your child to work day" with my father, who worked in construction. I was fascinated by building things, from working on real construction projects to creating imaginative structures out of Legos—like my favorite house in the sky made from 2x4 bricks. Surrounded by family members in the engineering and architectural fields, I grew more interested in construction and engineering over time. By middle school, I was excelling in math and science, becoming an honor student, and later took STEM-related courses in high school, which set the foundation for my current civil engineering studies.

The aspect of civil engineering that excites me the most is the ability to take ideas I’ve drawn and modeled and translate them into real-life structures. I’ve gained valuable skills, including 2D/3D modeling with AutoCAD and REVIT, structural analysis, and field testing, earning a Concrete Technician License for inspections. One of my proudest achievements was working with the New York State Department of Transportation on the Kew Gardens Interchange project, where I saved millions of dollars through my role as a quality assurance inspector, which even gained local media attention.

In my spare time, I enjoy home improvement projects, watching technological and construction advancements on the Discovery Channel, and designing concepts on my computer—sometimes bringing them to life through 3D printing. Looking toward the future, my goal is to open my own development company, design large-scale projects, and ultimately build Manhattan’s tallest skyscraper, one that represents the city’s culture while being affordable.