My interest in industrial engineering started at school, when I got to learn about processes and logistics in business class. After this, I had the opportunity to do an internship at Raven (a pharmaceutical company), when I got more insight about the processes area of the company. All these activities helped me see how much I enjoy this subject area, and having the opportunity to explore different subjects within the industrial engineering sector made me realize that this is what I want to keep doing for the rest of my life.

Looking back, I am greatly proud of my journey throughout high school. As a competitive Taekwondo athlete, it was hard to balance academics and athletics, so seeing the end result of being accepted in such a prestigious university makes me proud of my discipline and effort. I am also grateful for Blue Valley’s nature of encouraging me to be curious, independent and confident in my abilities to be ready for the challenges that I expect to face in the future. I am sure that my experience of balancing different disciplines and having perseverance will help me in university, especially in a difficult career like engineering. Additionally, I want to keep doing my sport, taekwondo, in Miami, where there is a more competitive atmosphere than in Costa Rica. I am very excited about this process, and knowing that I can qualify for events like Pan American games or Central American games fills me with excitement to start this new
chapter of my life.

On an end note, I want to encourage people to always look for the path that will challenge them. I have learned that these paths are the ones that create people’s characters and make them stronger.

"It always seems impossible until it's done." — Nelson Mandela

Vicente Rappaccioli accepted at Miami University, Engineering