Dean Vital

A&F Scholarship Essay

I have always had an interest in science. When I was just a child, I
learned that the Earth will eventually perish. I once had a dream that I was
floating a 1974 Volkswagen Super Beetle on top of some solid Minecraft-style
clouds in the upper atmosphere. I had to ditch the vehicle as it drifted off the
edge and began plummeting down to the Earths surface. It reminded me of
the way humanity needs to abandon their old, wasteful ways and adopt
smarter, more sustainable tactics for survival lest we perish for our
arrogance. Thoughts such as these inspired me to pursue the Aerospace
Engineering career path. Since then, I have put forth an earnest effort and
fiery passion into my studies, which is responsible for my appreciable
academic history.
Back in high school, I took part in a number of clubs including debate
club, video club, dissection laboratories, gifted and talented education, city
planning, and the Tucson Sanctuary Project charity group. Towards the end of
my time with the Sanctuary Project, I held a supervisory leadership role. In
addition, I also took part in music performance, playing in concerts for the
school. I played the trombone, piano, percussion, and eventually tutored
other students with their instruments. Teachers used me as the positive role
model for other students to follow, and oftentimes I would go out of my way
to help others with their work. The school had a reward system consisting of
currency which you earn for good behavior and high work performance which

I took advantage of to "purchase" three computers over the course of the

three years it took me to get my diploma. I graduated as valedictorian in the
Southern Arizona Community Academy Class of 2014 as a member of the
National Honor Society. After graduation, I began working as a tutor at the
same institution. As a tutor, I was entrusted with the job of maintaining a
good learning environment and providing one-on-one instruction to students
as they raise their hand. I must say that it is a very rewarding experience
passing on my STEM fervor, grammatical correctitude, and passionate work
ethic to the students that I teach.
Currently, I'm a second-semester junior enrolled in Aerospace
Engineering at the University of Arizona. My ultimate goal is to get a doctoral
degree in the same field over at the California Institute of Technology and
research methods of interstellar travel. In order to obtain these degrees, Im
going to have to continue to devote myself to producing quality work and
thoroughly understanding the course material. As an individual, I am a halfAsian trans person, the first of my family to attend university in the United
States. As such, my personal goal is to serve as a positive trans female
intellectual role model and inspire others to follow in my footsteps. Assuming
I am successful in my academic goals, this personal mission will follow
accordingly. If awarded the scholarship, I will most certainly not let it go to
waste. The prize money will go towards covering the cost of tuition and
books, as well as transportation and living expenses.