On October 21, 2018 my father David Brian Jackson passed away after a 5 month battle with esophogeal cancer. My parents’ thoughts on passing through this experience can be found on their blog. My father impacted me in so many ways, and was perhaps the biggest reason I decided to study engineering. While losing my father has been hard in many ways, I’m eternally grateful to have had such a wonderful father who taught me to love others, work hard, and always do my best.