I started reading science fiction when I was about your age.
In the ninth grade I thought I might like to be a figher pilot.
In my senior year I thought I might like to be a race car driver.
In my 20s I began studying for a degree in mechanical engineering.
I got my BSME from UH in 1979 and began work on the mainland at the Northrop Grumman Corp. in their space division.
I helped build and test the James Webb Space Telescope.
I worked in high bays like this one as well as in an office with computers.
It was very much worth the cost and effort.
Then I began working on space robots.
This is the NASA Mars rover named Perseverence. While I never worked on the Mars rovers, it looks like it could be a lot of fun.
Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com