Hey! My name is Lily Secord, and I’m from the western suburbs of Chicago. I’ve always greatly enjoyed delving into complex math and science topics and problems — particularly calculus, physics, and chemistry — as well as building creations with my hands (I have an impressive Lego collection) and problem solving, which is why I chose to study engineering. I am also extremely passionate about volunteering and service work; using my blessings to benefit marginalized groups in my own backyard. Studying engineering will give me the chance to combine my academic pursuits with my personal requirement of elevating the status of those who do not have the ability to do so themselves. I chose mechanical engineering specifically due to my undying love for Formula 1. I visited Rice senior year of high school and fell in love with the architecture, residential college system, population size, and the overall atmosphere of the school. Additionally, if I never had to work or study again, I would probably be at a bit of a loss, because even in my free time I am typically enjoying some type of activity that involves learning or stimulating my brain (reading, playing piano or sudoku, building Legos, etc.). However, I would be greatly inclined to settle down and have a family, immersing myself in the beauty of companionship, familial attachment, and new life. I also live to travel, and would of course vacation throughout the years. I chose to study abroad for that reason — my fascination with the unknown, exploring random areas, and uncovering new paths and adventures I would never have experienced had I not placed myself outside of my comfort zone. Also, I’m minoring in engineering design, so taking nine credit hours in a city like Tokyo is not only an amazing travel opportunity, but also knocks out half of the minor, allowing me more space to explore other interests during the school year. When exploring a new city, I am both an archaeologist and an architect. I need a place to start, and when traveling to a new city I am compelled to seek out the major attractions (landmarks, establishments, etc.) that I would regret not experiencing, considering I may not return to that city again. However, I use an attraction or two as a jumping off point — after taking everything in, I then find a restaurant off the beaten path, or wander into an unknown museum, garden, or historical site, forging my own itinerary as I venture throughout the day, exploring whatever interests me in that present moment. Today during the prototype test at Shibuya Crossing, I was surprised by the amount of people who wanted to try our device. I assumed people would judge us as strange tourists, which a ton of people definitely did, but we were able to recruit a lot of people to test. And, everyone was excited to try it out, smiling at our interaction and having fun, almost as if it was a game. Perhaps I had a negative perspective at first, but as my team members and I adapted to the setting and circumstances at hand, we became more comfortable with the uncomfortable, putting ourselves out there for rejection and consequently being surprised by the popularity of the emotion scale.