M'Reyet Nekku'set was always looking at the stars. The people of Cait were a space-fairing race, so it was no secret even to the young Caitian that all of those points of light splashed across the deep blue velvet of the night sky were not ancient ascended warriors, or gods, or angels, but *destinations*. All his star gazing was filled with quiet dreams of what it would be like to travel to those destinations.
Of course, then, he focused his education on chasing those dreams. Some called him "prodigy" when he studied and excelled at astrocartography and astrometrics as a kit, only barely into double-digit age. As well as he did, though, it was not the subject that sparked his passion, but the equipment used in its study: holoemitters and computer cores with vast computing power and storage. Learning of interstellar measurements and distances, led him to an interest in the engineering behind how his people crossed them.
M'Reyet made some friends among like-minded over-achievers he met in an early series of courses on warp mechanics and starship design theory, and together they decided to put the theory into practice by building a small shuttle piece-by-piece as they learned about each phase of starship design. Their design was, of course, imperfect and the vessel never made it out of the warehouse they built it in. When the course series ended and most of his friends went their separate ways, M'Reyet continued tinkering.
The biggest problem he faced was plasma distribution. Adapting EPS conduit design from the theoretical to the practical turned out to be more challenging than he expected. He'd had a revelation - a moment of clarity that EPS designs currently in use could be improved upon, but try as he might he could not convince the industrial replicator he'd been using to produce his designs properly. His focus turned from starship plasma systems to replicators as he tinkered with the device to improve its capabilities. Perhaps ironically, it was his modification of the industrial replicator and not the starship itself that resulted in the explosion that nearly killed him.
As the young Caitian lay in a medically-induced coma at the Harss'a Medical Facility, the investigation into the explosion exposed M'Reyet's work - both star ship designs and replicator modifications - to the attention of the scientific community. Several weeks later when M'Reyet was brought out of his medical stasis to begin physical therapy, he was visited by representatives of Starfleet Academy. At first, they simply stood in the background in their crisp uniforms as M'Reyet endured extensive admonishment for his carelessness. Doctors reminded him repeatedly that he'd almost died, as if he wasn't aware of that fact. Tearful family expressed the concern and fear they'd been put through and how devastated they'd be, each in their own way, if he'd died. Administrators berated him for the damage he'd caused, endangering neighboring warehouses and their employees.
Starfleet looked on, expressionless, enduring the onslought along with him. Though they hadn't said a word, M'Reyet imagined them silently supporting him. It gave him strength to endure. Even as he begin rebuilding his atrophied muscles and exercised away scar tissue built up over weeks of unconsciousness, they observed. Under their gaze, M'Reyet felt a need to impress - to persevere. Every time he caught their gaze, he redoubled his efforts, fighting through pain and fatigue to recover as quickly as possible. In fact, by the time it became clear he was nearing full recovery, the young man discovered he actually enjoyed the physical exertion and knew he would always keep his body at its peak performance from that point forward.
When at last the doctors told him they were ready to declare his recovery complete and discharge him from the facility, the Starfleet representatives finally spoke. They were impressed, they said, with his progress and dedication to healing. He'd shown grit and tenacity to a degree extraordinary even to Starfleet cadets. They then praised him for his engineering accomplishments, and though adding their admonishment of his recklessness, added that with proper training and supervision he could be one of the galaxy's most successful engineers. They offered him a place at Starfleet Academy, adding that the Federation would be honored to have him.
"Honored." That was the actual word they used. Not "you should be honored to be offered this opportunity," but that *they* would be honored if he accepted. They told him to take a few days to consider his future, but he didn't need it. He accepted on the spot and has never regretted that decision.