I am a Junior at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg striving towards a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering. A key skill I have garnered through my high school years is self-teaching. At the age of five, I started teaching myself to play golf along with my older brother. It served me well, as I won team and individual tournaments in the Jr. PGA, and placed me No. 1 on my high school roster for Oscar Smith High School two years in a row. Another example of this skill surfaced a couple years ago when I discovered the guitar my dad had in the attic. Rummaging through YouTube, I quickly learned and improved my technique, and began making my own music. And beyond guitar, I have become independently proficient in event photography, video editing, designing graphics, music production, piano, short-story writing, and painting/sketching/pen and ink.This skill stems from a passion to learn, as well as improve in whatever skills I can get a hold of---beyond my personal hobbies. It's a skill that drives me to do well in every academic class I take and every job I hold.Industrial and Systems Engineering interests me because of optimization's impact on people's lives day to day. My father is an optometrist, so the healthcare field has always been an interest of mine. But just recently in my internship with Sentara, I've seen the impact of ISE in healthcare firsthand. Pushing for optimizations in this field benefits patients and medical workers alike, creating a more streamlined future for millions.