As an optical engineering student, I have been learning a lot over the past four years about a field that was new to me at the start of my college experience. However, my interest in optics goes beyond what I have been studying in my classes. When I was visiting my grandparents over winter break last year, I found my great-grandfather’s Bausch & Lomb microscope that was over ninety years old. It was in rough shape, the objectives were stuck, crashed against the stage, it was grimy and dusty, and looking through the eyepiece revealed only darkness. I took it upon myself to take it apart, clean every lens, gear, and knob, and reassemble it. When I was done, it worked! I looked at a basil leaf, some fabric, and some of my dog’s shedded hair under it, and was able to see very fine details. I even was able to rig up a cell phone to be able to take pictures through the eyepiece. My passion for optical engineering extends outside of the classroom and into everything I do - whether its spotting a rainbow from the sun shining through a peephole, creating a projector to peek into microscopic life using lego, a laser pointer, and a drop of water, or repairing a ninety year old microscope, I approach everything with curiosity and an eagerness to learn. I have recently graduated with a B.S. in Optical Engineering from the University of Rochester and am working full-time at Labby, Inc. while pursuing a Masters in Optics part time at the University of Rochester.