My Life Concepts

Michelle Hovey

Whole Life Concepts Part 1 ENGR 1201 007 Linda Hargrove 09/22/12

I have neither given nor received any unauthorized help on this assignment, nor witnessed any violation of the UNC Charlotte Code of Academic Integrity.

9/22/2012

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Introduction

For my whole life paper, I explored my passion, what it means to be me, and how I can impact the world. I talked about my passion and how it came to be. My competitiveness and drive are two main aspects that affect my passion. They are defining factors of whats its like to be me. I described the important people in my life and the ways they influenced me. I mentioned my work ethic and its significance to me. I described my wish to coach and help younger players learn and grow. I expressed my goal to be an inspiration through volleyball, and discussed my involvement with the breast cancer prevention efforts through volleyball. I went into issues that impact engineers. Engineers are involved in trying to solve many of our current global issues. I discussed a few topics that engineers can affect greatly.

Passion

I have a passion for volleyball. It is one of the main reasons (often literally) that I get up in the morning. I have always loved all kinds of sports. I have participated in variety of sports since I was a little girl; soccer, gymnastics, swimming softball and even a little flag football. With the exception of soccer, I enjoy playing all the sports. When I found volleyball, however, I fell in love. My first encounter with volleyball was somewhat by accident. My friends and I were at a park that happened to have a sand volleyball court. Someone had a soccer ball, so we used that to play a pickup game of volleyball. I knew that day that volleyball was going to be my thing. I wanted to play on a team the next day. As a homeschooler, I did not have instant access to a school team. I nagged my mother until, about a year later she found me a homeschool team to try out for. From those volleyball beginnings, I ended up playing a lot of volleyball in high school. I was on homeschool junior varsity and varsity, club, beach, grass, and high performance teams. And now that Im in college, Im on the Charlotte 49ers volleyball team. I traveled all around NC and the country with these teams. My coaches and teammates demanded a lot from me, but they know I am capable of 110%. I always give my all in whatever I do. That is what people notice most about me, and my drive has earned me nicknames like Wonder Woman and Ninja. I have been honored to receive multiple awards including all conference player, all tournament player, MVP, and various hustle awards. The worst insult you could give me is questioning my worth ethic. I have a great support system in my family. They have always encouraged me to pursue my passion for volleyball. I attribute most of my competitive spirit to my family. I have two siblings, a brother two years older, and a sister two years younger. We have a lot of similar interests and are all very competitive. The fact that we were homeschooled meant that we were constantly comparing our work. I always remember looking at my siblings successes and telling myself I had to do better. None of us wanted to be out done. So, as each of us got better at a skill, the others, in turn, improved. My family has sacrificed to supply the means to keep me playing in so many different kinds of volleyball. Club ball is thousands of dollars a season. It is a huge commitment financially, mentally, and physically. During club season, we would be traveling to tournaments on most weekends and even some holidays. When others were partying or celebrating, we were on the road or in a gym. It meant less time for vacation with my family, but I was doing something I loved.

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Being involved with volleyball in high school meant finishing homework early and being diligent with my time. I usually didnt have a free weekend to catch up on homework. I had to get school work done during the week. I often had to say no to friends who wanted to hang out. Having to balance my volleyball schedule with my school schedule was difficult. It was a strain mentally as well as physically. I learned various ways of prioritizing and juggling my workload. As a result, I learned good study habits and usually didnt wait till the last minute to finish an assignment. I earned straight As through high school, and that includes the grades from my two years of dualenrollment at two different community colleges when I was a junior and a senior. Many people do not take the time to put in the effort to get As , but I did it while balancing an intense volleyball schedule and college level courses. I am driven. I will always try to achieve the highest level of success.

Impact

Now that I have achieved my high school goal of becoming a NCAA Division 1 volleyball player, one of my current goals is for my performance on and off the court to be a role model for others. My collegiate career has already made an impact.. After matches, people have come up to me and said that they admire my drive and hustle. They have asked to take a picture with me. At five foot three, I am a little undersized for a volleyball player. The fact that I have overcome this shortcoming has been an inspiration to others. Two small, young girls came up to me recently saying that I gave them confidence to continue playing because of my drive and height. One girl even changed her Facebook profile to a picture of the two of us. Feedback like this tells me that what I am doing is important and worthwhile. I am not just playing a sport I love, but I am actually touching lives in a positive way. I would like to use my volleyball skills to eventually coach. I want to give girls the same opportunities I had growing up. I think being a part of a sports team can teach you so much about yourself and what you can achieve, Learning to work with teammates and having to rely on them for your own success is a valuable skill. Aside from acquiring life-improving skills, volleyball is a great sport to play. I would love to teach and help girls grow in the sport and their maturity. Another area in which I make an impact now is in efforts to support research to find a cure for breast cancer. Of course, I do not do this by myself, but with my volleyball team. UNCC holds a Dig Pink match each year . Proceeds from the match go to side out foundation, an organization dedicated to raise money for breast cancer. . Last year, UNCC volleyball raised more money than any other volleyball team in the country. According to last years calculation, they collected over ten thousand dollars for the cause during their fundraising effort. 1 As a UNCC volleyball player my volleyball life is impacted by activities to aid with the health issue of breast cancer.. We give out pamphlets to raise awareness and have fundraisers. At a recent fundraiser at a Carolina Panthers game, we collected over sixteen hundred dollars. We will have multiple more fundraisers this year along with the proceeds from this years Dig Pink match. We wish to keep our record as the number one volleyball team in the United States for raising money for breast cancer awareness. On the Side-

Volleyballs Dig Pink Week in Full Swing, Charlotte 49ers, accessed September 20, 2012. http://www.charlotte49ers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=363413&SPID=44795&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID =23200&ATCLID=205314065

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out Volleyball home page there is a quote that captures my passion for both volleyball and technology. Inspiration on the courts is not so different from innovation in the lab. 2 I wish to translate all the life skills I learned in volleyball to my future career. Determination, teamwork, coping with mistakes, and perseverance are all valued skills in the workforce. All of these are valuable skills required in any occupation, but I believe engineering demands an even higher standard. With these skills, I hope to impact the world in a positive manner through engineering. I will be equipped with all the necessary skills. I will simply have to apply them in my work and assignments. My budding passion for engineering will certainly be affected by many global issues. Among them would be the current energy crisis. Everyone is trying to find new cheaper, and more economically friendly products. This certainly is an issue for engineering. The public wants more fuel-efficient cars, cheap solar powered devices, and many more ways to save on natural resources and energy. Engineers are the driving force behind all of these innovations. The demands for such devices will not cease. Engineers of the current and up-coming generation have a lot of expectations to meet.. In an interview with the president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Shirley Ann Jackson, she discusses the current energy crisis and possible ways of combating the problem, When asked if humans could engineer their way out of the energy crisis, she answered with, These are really hard problems, but they are very exciting and important problems.3 According to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, the definition of engineering is The profession in which a knowledge of mathematics and natural sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind.4 The last statement, for the benefit of mankind, is the most important. What better way can engineers benefit mankind than by figuring a way to supply the people of world with the resource they need the most: water. Trying to supply the world with clean water is not a new issue, but it is still one of the most urgent and important. Thousands of people die everyday due to unclean and contaminated water. More people die from a lack of access to water than during any war. 5 Keeping true to what defines them, engineers must use their passion to help their fellow man. Conclusion Volleyball has taught me so much. It is not just a sport, but a family, a team trying to work together for the betterment of the whole. It has tested me; tested my resolve. Volleyball has made me more dedicated in every aspect of my life. I plan to apply all that I have learned about teamwork, hard work, and dedication to my current engineering studies here at UNCC. Then, after four year of playing volleyball, studying, and polishing theses skills, I hope to use all that I have learned in an engineering role that will make a positive impact on the world.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte-Womans Volleyball, Side-out Foundation, accessed September 18, 2012. https://www.side-out.org/cb/ous/fundraising_page/9239 3 David Hirschman.,Engineering our way out of the energy crisis, Big Think, May 12, 2010. September 19 2012. http://bigthink.com/ideas/20475 4 Definition of Engineering, ABET, September 21, 2012. http://users.ece.utexas.edu/~holmes/Teaching/EE302/Slides/UnitOne/sld002.htm 5 The Global Water Crisis, Hydros, accessed September 20, 2012.
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Bibliography

Definition of Engineering. ABET. accessed September 21, 2012.

http://users.ece.utexas.edu/~holmes/Teaching/EE302/Slides/UnitOne/sld002.htm. Hirschman, David Engineering our way out of the energy crisis. Big Think. May 12 2010. Sept. 19 2012, http://bigthink.com/ideas/20475. The Global Water Crisis. Hydros. accessed September 20, 2012. http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/7126/7356.aspx.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte-Womans Volleyball. Side-out Foundation. accessed September

18, 2012. https://www.side-out.org/cb/ous/fundraising_page/9239.

Volleyballs Dig Pink Week in Full Swing. Charlotte 49ers. 2011. accessed September 20, 2012. http://www.charlotte49ers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=363413&SPID=44795&DB_LANG=C&DB_ OEM_ID=23200&ATCLID=205314065.