Nithilan A

I’ve had a lot of interests in my life. Many of them waned into obscurity, some of them evolved as I got older but only a select few stuck. Cars were always an everlasting constant that shaped my life. If you asked a 5-year-old me for his take on cars, I would answer in two words: Ferrari LaFerrari. It had everything a car needed: beauty, precision, and most importantly, speed. I guess for those formative years of my life this served as more or less of a gateway into a life of cars. From then on, every birthday had a hotwheels cake and McQueen paraphernalia was scatted all throughout my room.

When I started understanding the concept of attainability, the Ford Mustang was the closest stop. This way, I was able to see my dreams on the street pretty often. Once I heard that we were getting a new car I was livid to say the least. As a family who switches cars fairly often constant dealership visits were as exciting as amusement parks. When my dad told me it was a ford dealership I lost it. There's no way we weren't getting a mustang I thought, as no other cars there really had value. Unexpectedly, I was led to dismay when we rolled out in a drab, white Ford Explorer. 6 year old me wouldn't believe how it would soon change my life.

9 years of vomiting in the backseat, zoning out on road trips, and simply chilling on fully reclined seats led to my strong emotional attachment. In primary and middle school I thought my life’s purpose was to create fast, flashy cars, but as I grew I admired the sense of security and togetherness that family cars project. I still appreciate the magic of a supercar, and I’ve been to countless car shows but to me a true engine shouldn't just prioritize speed, but be able to carry the weight lives it influences by forging connections beyond the mechanical. This same idea is implemented in this portfolio; when researching, working, or writing I try and capture the same excitement I have with cars. In that way, everything I write comes from a place of genuine fun and enjoyment.