12 years of gymnastics has taught me the importance of having a good work ethic and strong discipline. I have never been the most talented, but have found that consistent practice with a high level of effort brings success over time. I believe getting accustomed to such a physically and mentally demanding training regimen has translated into a strong commitment to tasks and projects in mechanical engineering.

Balancing 25+ hours of practice a week with a demanding Mechanical Engineering course load has taught me that making use of every second in each day is crucial. Traveling for competition and national team obligations has taught me to be adaptable and proactive with my work. I believe that the organizational and goal-setting skills I’ve used to manage my busy schedule can translate into keeping me efficient as a Mechanical Engineer.

Over the course of my career I have suffered numerous debilitating injuries and setbacks that have brought me down from the highest heights to the lowest lows. Each time I was put in crutches or a cast it would take months of rehabilitation and extra work to climb back to my previous level. A typical practice involves failing hundreds of times before successfully completing a skill. Keeping my goals central and being willing to struggle through failure has given me success in the gym, and I believe that it has prepared me for the difficult tasks ahead in my career and life.

The essence of Gymnastics is to push the body’s limits while making it look easy and beautiful. We strive to reach as close to perfection as possible, and since perfection is unattainable, there is always something to improve. This means paying attention to the finer details of each part of the skill: Rhythm, angles, form, composure, speed. As part of my craft, I understand that each part of my work demands attention and should not be overlooked. I believe this helps me look around corners and keeps me thorough in my work as a mechanical engineer.

Being on an NCAA and National team has taught me that in order to reach success, the team must come first. Each member of the team has a crucial role to play, and understanding and taking accountability for these roles makes the entirety of the team better and more efficient. Team members may have differences and disagreements, but clear communication allows us to reach a level of understanding and collaborate with everyone so that the common goal can be achieved. This translates naturally to working in multidisciplinary teams on complex projects as a mechanical engineer.

After being on a number of different teams, I’ve learned that leadership takes many different forms. As a freshman I was able to compete on all 6 events, and as I had no voice, I was able to lead by example and push others by working hard in practice. As an upperclassman with an injury, I couldn’t lead by example, and had to use my voice to help the underclassmen assimilate and contribute effectively to the team. And when I came back to competition as an event specialist, I got to lead others by being a mix of the two. I believe this exposure has prepared me to identify when to collaborate as an effective leader or follower in a Mechanical Engineering team.