Undergraduate / Mechanics a Great Experience [2]

Prompt 2

Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?

Putting an engine in a car may not seem like much of an accomplishment at first, but for me the experience was life changing, especially since I had never done so much as an oil change! This is why I am very pleased that, with a friend's help, I managed to change my car's engine. Through this experience, I learned that I can overcome any difficulty.

About one year ago, my car's engine overheated after a long distance drive. The engine was damaged to the extent of not function at all. But I needed the car; I needed transportation to school. The only solution was to purchase another engine, which I ended up doing. To save money, I decided to install it myself. I removed usable parts, from the old engine such as the air intake, starter, cables, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, and anything of that sort. I sorted, labeled, and organized the parts. I was meticulous.

I have learned to work strategically and efficiently. I think back and give thanks for the chess games I played because they taught me to think before making a wrong move. Organizing all mechanical parts was essential, so that in the end bolts would not be missing or unpaired. For example, I would leave the bolts mounted on the engine and numbered the pieces of tape matching its item.

The engine arrived in about one week and we immediately started working on it. My friend, Efrain, recommended changing all the seals so it would not leak oil, and we did. We prepared everything else so the new engine would be ready to drop in. This included, of course, removing the old engine. We attached the transmission with a new clutch to the new rebuilt engine. When we were confident that the engine was perfect, we began mounting it into the car. I had to knock over any fear that came upon me because I would not let any fear stop me from finishing this job. When working underneath the engine, held by one hydraulic jack, the fear of it dropping concerned me. My determination, however, gave me the strength to see the job through. But mounting the engine was only part of the job. After successfully mounting the new engine, I had to reattach every reusable part in its proper place. Thank goodness I was so organized.

Of course the project took months to finish, but I was learning while working. After hard work, time, and money invested on the project, the moment of truth arrived. Oily and covered in a whole day's worth of sweat, I jumped into my car, overwhelmed by anxiety, to start it. If it did not turn on, I would have been devastated. Four months worth of arduous effort and hard work would have gone to waste. But when I turned the key, I heard the engine come to life and rejoicing, I revved my engine! In that moment came a flash back of what a great time I had working and learning mechanics. I also realized patience and organization were key factors to success. Knowing that I can be highly organized and can give hundred percent at every subject, no matter how difficult it might be.

Word count: 539

Undergraduate / "I am the youngest of eight children" - Prompt 1 essay Help in title [2]

Describe the world you came from-for example, your family, community or school-and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
Prompt 1
My siblings begin their day at five o'clock in the morning and work under harsh labor conditions. This inspires me to attend a university because I want a better life. I want to achieve my goal of becoming a mechanical engineer. I do not want to work in a job for the rest of my life and not enjoy doing it. Enjoying work and looking forward to take challenges in a job is what I define as success. My siblings regret not getting a higher education. They motivate me by implanting the importance of schooling because they would not want to see me work hard for a low wage. Having these examples from my siblings inspires me to make good decisions. I do not want to make the same mistakes as they did. Seeing how my family backs me up in attending a university builds my confidence, knowing I can achieve it.

I am the youngest of eight children; the first to be born in the U.S. At the age of seven I had to move in with Mario, my oldest sibling, because my parents decided to return to Mexico. U.S.A is, after all, the country of opportunities; many doors open to a higher education and a decent life. To receive my education in American schools, in 1998 my brother became my legal guardian.

In the beginning it was hard not having my parents, but maintaining focus on my goals gave me the strength and audacity to keep moving forward. Since my parents have not been around for the past ten years, I have learned to become independent. I have learned to appreciate my brother Mario as my own father. In addition, it was necessary for me to have more open communication with him so that we were on the same page: academics first. As a result, I can easily converse with people whom I do not know. Entering one of the university's where there are going be classmates from all over the world, will be easy collaborating with them since I have developed good communicating skills.

When I have finally achieved my goals, I know my family will be proud. The only thing my siblings want in return from their efforts in helping me is carrying out my intended major, but I plan giving back in any possible way. After majoring, it will be easier to bring my mom and dad back to the U.S and showing them the fruits of their labor. I cannot wait for that day to arrive.

Word count: 422