I am a native Pittsburgher, a graduate of Seton-La Salle Catholic High School in Mount Lebanon. Always interested in science and math, I pursued the idea of a career in one of these fields from a young age, beginning as watching The Magic School Bus as a child, to many C-MITES robotics programs throughout grade school, and participating in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science and Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering fairs in middle and high school. I also hold a strong interest in the arts. An avid vocalist, I sing at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish in Pleasant Hills as a soloist for weddings and other services. I have pursued outside vocal training for a number of years and participated in the spring musicals in high school. I hold a long-standing, ongoing volunteer position at Pleasant Hills Public Library in the Children’s Department springing from my love of books and of doing kid’s craft projects. This position enabled me to be presented at St. Lucy’s Auxiliary’s Forty-Fourth Medallion Ball to receive the Joan of Arc Medallion for Service.
So how did I end up in engineering? I first considered being an engineer when I was ten. I was facing a crisis: for years I had been able to answer the question ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ with, ‘A ballerina;’ now that I was quitting ballet to have time to do other activities, I needed to decide what to do with my life. At that time, I loved to build what I referred to as ‘machines that might actually do something;’ a few years later, I realized I had accidentally perfected the art of building Rube Goldberg machines. Always looking for parts, I took apart anything that I was permitted and, if the internal workings peaked my interest, incorporated the pieces into my designs that snaked all around the family room. I relished coming up with my own ways around obstacles. I had covered some basic physics up to this point which came in handy when trying to catapult a superball over the couch. So, with all this in mind, I asked my father what type of job allowed me to use science and build different types of machines. His suggestion was engineering, specifically mechanical. To that end, I am enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Engineering.
The official website for Lego Mindstorms.
The official website for E-week at the Carnegie Science Center. Includes an events calendar,and links to all of the contest and exhibits that will be happening.
A blog containing building and programing tips for advanced Mindstorms users.