Undergraduate / My passion made me a geek; USC Viterbi supplement: Nerd or Geek? [8]

Some people categorize engineers as geeks or nerds. Are you a geek, nerd, or neither? Why?
Geek.
The Oxford dictionary defines the word as "An unfashionable and socially inept person". But the literal definition is far from what society in general perceives of it. Geek is not wearing high waist pants with big horn-rimmed glasses. It is not burying your face in books; neither is it memorizing equations and formulas. It is something much more. It is about being passionate. It is about doing what you love, and loving what you do, irrespective of how others judge you. And I must confess; I am a geek.

Yes, I am studious. Yes, I have my own laboratory at home. I post on science forums instead of on Facebook. I make quad copters when I have spare time. I prefer documentaries to movies. But the only force that drives me into indulging in such activities is the passion I possess to know more. Passion for science, for computers, for robots. Passion that often gets me called bookworm. Passion that makes me who I proudly am: A geek.

Undergraduate / Cuturally diversified India; Umich - Communities [5]

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it. (Approximately 250 words)

Belonging to a culturally diversified nation like India, I owe myself to a myriad of different communities: religious, social and political. But I would rather relate myself as a part of something that is though small but perfect to describe who I am: A Doer.

India being a country in its making, I regularly faced problems such as littered streets, stray cats and disease spreading mosquitoes. We would read about them in our Social studies class, but seldom would we find someone with an actual solution. All we could find were hypocrites. So I, a fellow ninth grader, along with three of my classmates decided to do whatever small we could to improve these conditions, and hence, "The Doers" were born.

But what did The Doers do? Simple. We did whatever we thought was needed to be done: whether it was to clean the colony, feed cows, plant rosemary and marigold flowers in the park or serve food in the local orphanage. As a result, there was more cleanliness and lesser mosquitoes. In return, we were rewarded with the blessings of our elders and the smiles of young children. Some youngsters were so inspired that they insisted to contribute!

This little community that I belong to has not only groomed me but has also made me realize how even I could make a difference in others' lives.

I look forward to being a Doer in college too.