From the moment coding was first introduced to me in elementary school, I knew I had found my passion. I was mesmerized watching a programmer demonstrate how lines of code could control sprites to simulate an Angry Birds game. In that moment, my desire to master this magical power was ignited. I jumped at every opportunity to build on my newfound passion. In high school, I eagerly enrolled in programming electives where my skills progressed by leaps and bounds. I relished challenges like using code to direct robots through mazes and compete in races. My curiosity led me to experiment on my own time as well. I created web apps, dove deep into data structures and HTML/CSS through an AP course, and even managed to take the same class twice undetected because I couldn't get enough. Driven by curiosity, I branched into mobile game development and published my first 2D multiplayer shooter at just 17 years old. Though frustrated when my app was rejected from the Play Store for being underage, this only further fueled my determination. On my 18th birthday, I resubmitted and saw my creation released to the world. I delved into backend technologies, learning about databases, server management, and APIs. Combining this with my frontend knowledge, I built comprehensive web applications that could handle real-world tasks, from e-commerce platforms to social media apps Now, as a CS Major, I still have that same childlike wonder and passion that programming first sparked in me. Each milestone has offered new lessons and driven me to reach higher. Though my journey is just beginning, I am thrilled at how far my curiosity and persistence have carried me already. With the same dedication, I know I can continue growing into the software engineer I dreamed of being all those years ago.