From one to the next but this time for my future instead of my past by Alisa

From one to the next but this time for my future instead of my past by Alisa - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

Getting injured is one of the worst things that could happen to a dancer. I spent one week trying to convince myself that I was okay, but a fracture to the foot with nerve damage cannot be ignored. When I fractured my foot my freshman year, I was separated from dance for three months. Dance was a full time commitment at the time, taking up five days of my week. I had learned what it felt like to dance: my face following my perfectly placed palm, my leg cutting through the air in a battement, the calculated restraint in grand jumps or turns. I felt the joy of creating, not with just my mind but with my body and soul. When I broke my leg, I was given free time, pushing me to explore the other parts of myself that had remained backstage.
When I was in elementary school, I knew that I wanted to become a scientist. At 7 years old, I joined STEM Steps, a weekend program where I learned STEM with other little kids who looked like me. We would spend hours learning about Black innovators and creating mini experiments. This was my first exposure to community-minded STEM and laid a foundation in my budding interest in the field. A few months after my injury, I joined the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team at my high school. Engineering was everywhere, drawing students into multiple different fields, mirroring a start up company feel. Every field, every job, every engineering aspect drew me in, enticing me to explore and experience them.
As months went by, I started to notice that my personality changed and I was more likely to say yes then no. As my leg started to heal, I was drawn into dance again. At first I was happy to be back into my routine of dressing up in tights and leotards with pretty pink pointe shoes, but something was missing. I had learned what the STEM field had to offer and I loved the team working environment that fit my collaborative personality. Caught between my newfound interest and my childhood passion, this roadblock was my first chance to make a decision about my life. I realized that I could be a ballet dancer in robotics and that opened doors for me in both realms. I went on to dance in the Oakland Ballet Nutcracker and intern at the Lawrence Berkeley National Labs.
Opportunities come in the smallest ways and when a 6th grade parent reached out to me about starting a middle school robotics team I never envisioned how impactful it could become. Many spaces are missing a specialized STEM program similar to the one that mesmerized me in high school, creating a gap in innovation.
As spring transitioned to summer my project had a spotlight shown on it when a district employee took interest. Working with her, I was able to accelerate the reach of this program, to have a team at each public middle school in Berkeley. In the three FIRST Lego League (FLL) teams, I aimed for these teams to be inclusive, accessible, and an activity that gave middle schoolers exposure to a whole STEM field. Many teams in FIRST require paid participation with odd hours. Our program broke from the norm by working directly after school hours and establishing our motto of free entry to everyone regardless of experience, anyone and everyone can join. My journey led me to recognize these pipelines as stepping blocks leading to a bigger community mission: finding our passions in life. The pivots I made after my injury taught me that options are not only black and white but a mixture of little decisions that allow you to get the best of your situation.
Standing in the presentation judging room during the in-district competition I hosted for the FLL team, I had a moment of reflection. The 40 kids present and over 100 general spectators wouldn't have the opportunity to spend their weekend surrounded by STEM if I hadn’t decided to push the creation of these spaces. I was changing their lives just by being present and listening to my community. This was only my sophomore and junior year, I’m excited about what else I’ll start in my future.