When I applied to colleges, it was solely based on which schools had a top tier petroleum engineering program. Mines stood out because it was a smaller school near the mountains that had a strong reputation within industry. Having spent three summers in industry, I can attest to reason the reputation stands- Mines prepares us to be a helluva engineer. While the academics are rigorous, they open numerous doors. Because of the help from the Harvey Scholarship, I have been able to continue to learn about the technical sides of engineering, but also about myself as a person. The scholarship allows me to attend Mines, but creates a community of amazing people to be inspired by. As a freshman I never thought I would go to graduate school- but here I am with the GRE taken and an application in review.