When I decided I wanted to go into engineering, I essentially signed myself up for years of dynamics, calculus, CAD software, and much more. While I wouldn’t change this decision, there are definitely nights when I’m up late with stress--the class and the emotion--and wondering why I didn’t become a princess at Disney instead.

Now, let me tell you what it’s like trying to talk to my mother, an occupational therapist, about this. She tries to act interested, but she’s probably thinking about Ben the Bachelor. That’s OK though mom because I pretty much do the same thing when you talk about the splints you made at work, except I think about Chris Evans…

While hours on hours of differential equations may not be extremely exciting at ten at night, I know in the end the hours spent doing homework and studying will be worth it. Sometimes it’s hard to keep my eyes on the prize while at school, but being in Florida working for the mouse himself has reminded me of the magic mechanical engineering creates.

What others tend to forget when I’m telling them about how to calculate force is that this same force is calculated when creating their favorite everyday objects. Just last night, I was riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom when it hit me--don’t worry, what hit me wasn’t a bird or anything dangerous. Instead, it was the feeling of happiness that this attraction brought me. I was in Florida riding the wildest ride in the wilderness and it was all because of people who work in my major, doing what I hope to do someday.

While mechanical engineering is certainly not an easy field, it is one which is filled with--and creates--pixie dust. You know that airplane that took you to see your family? Mechanical engineering. And that thirteen story drop on the Tower or Terror? Mechanical engineering, and maybe some help from "The Twilight Zone." Yes, mom, mechanical engineering may be boring to you, but do you see everything it creates? I may have to grow old, but I will never grow up. And no, I am not a mechanical engineer yet, but with a lot of hard work I will get there, and when I get there I plan to sprinkle a little pixie dust on everything I do.