Hello, my name is Izaiah Lopez. I am a member of the Tohono O’odham nation. I currently reside on the Gila River Indian Reservation.

From a young age, the STEM field has always been an immense fascination for me. I have had the opportunity to travel and participate in multiple science fairs held by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society with participants from all around the country. I attended Cesar Chavez High School, and I had the opportunity to enroll into a robotics class. This was my first experience with coding and understanding how the mind of machines worked. With the excitement of programming my own robot and the support of my instructor, I was drawn instantly. I was the president of our Native American youth council from my junior year into my senior year. During my time as president, my fellow members and I organized numerous community events both around the city of Phoenix and around the Gila River Reservation. It is these opportunities that drive me to pursue an education and to have an understanding of coding and technology. I am a fast learner and am eager to take on new challenges and work towards making a brighter future.