Undergraduate / To be a patient and a volunteer alternately - Johns Hopkins Supplemental 'interests' essay [3]

Johns Hopkins University was founded in 1876 on a spirit of exploration and discovery. As a result, students can pursue a multi-dimensional undergraduate experience both in and outside of the classroom. Given the opportunities at Hopkins, please discuss your current interests (academic, extracurricular, personal passions, summer experiences, etc.) and how you will build upon them here.

(300-500 Word limit)

The sun creeps up to bathe the pair of Blue Jays (a good omen, I suppose?) nesting near my windowsill in a warm, ethereal glow, the tree leaves with a sparkling tint of gold and my bedroom with a blinding light that throbs at my temples. I utter an indiscernible groan, as I will my eyes to open. Yet, as I attempt to make sense of the world through the clutter that is my mind, I find myself smiling at the thought of continuing my conversations with Nikki about her wanting to rejoin the senior citizen's recreational softball team and with Emeril, my supervisor, about how he planned to backpack in Europe once he retires.

As I spin through the revolving door, I am always greeted by the familiar scents of the earthy, slightly tartness of Starbucks coffee and the aromatic flowers; which, according to my supervisor, are secretly sprayed with perfume (they smell great nonetheless). At Holy Name, I like to see myself as a source of comic relief for the men and women at my designated floor, 5 Chadwick. I refrain from using the term "patients" and "volunteer" as it tends to oversimplify the often times complex relationship between volunteers and patients to "helpers" and "help-ees". There have been numerous accounts where there was a role reversal where I was the "patient" and they were the "volunteers". Whether it be to cheer me up on a particularly gloomy day or to offer to hear my problems, these people have been an invaluable aspect within my life. At Johns Hopkins University, I intend to continue with this mentality as I become a part of Hopkins' Center for Social Concern. The CSC's motto of service with others rather than service to others resonated with my own belief in mutual, beneficial relationships between those helping and those in need. Here I would get to work with like-minded individuals whose outlook on the community revolves learning from each other, whilst appreciating all that life has given us.

Undergraduate / Carnegie Mellon supplement on Engineering - Nature drives design. Design drives nature. [4]

Nature drives design.

Design drives nature.

Human nature is bridled by ailments and limitations. However, with an ever-expanding wealth of knowledge and information propagating society, engineers test those limits.

Life was about ingenuity. Since the green age of 3, I've had a particular aversion to conventional toys. Instead, I would twist and fold the accompanying cardboard packaging with my woefully small hands, later presenting my "robots" to my parents with a goofy grin plastered on my face. Legos and Bionicle sets bored me, for the thrill that supposedly comes from what is essentially rebuilding a pre-made toy eluded me. Instead I built skyscrapers from chopsticks, cars from cardboard and the fundamentals of engineering from my passion.

It was only later on in life that I encountered the limitations of modern technology, as well as the indomitable spirit of human beings. 2008, an era when exoskeletons and 3D printing were unheard of to the general populous, my dearest friend Joe amputated his leg due to cancer. His new prosthetic did wonders, allowing him to walk, run, and do everything that a normal child could do.

Yet, it wasn't enough. His pain and discomfort was evident, even as he tried to smile through it all. Wanting to help but unable to do anything except temporarily distract him, I knew that I didn't want anyone else to go through such pain. I had to do something.

Thus began my fervent "quest", a rekindling of my creative passions. Multiple classes, self-studies and even an opportunity to do hands on research at the Governor's School only further propelled me to discover the multifaceted marvels of engineering and be an engineer that tests the limits of technological advancements. At Carnegie Mellon, I can be a part of the Biomechanics and Motor Control class taught by Professor Hartmut Geyer, where I would love to actively pursue his work regarding legged dynamics and human motor control. Not only that but I would also love to eventually work under his guidance and teachings, developing novel innovations that would vastly improve our current prosthetic technology.

Carnegie's of incorporating multiple engineering and science fields in the curriculum will allow me to pursue biomedical engineering as well as other fields of interest. The Computational Bio-Modeling and Visualization class does just that:incorporating biomedical engineering, mathematics, computer science and mechanical engineering to create computer simulations and models that are vital for an engineer's often dangerous and costly experiments.

Through such varied courses, I hope to one day develop a better type of synthetic skin that would no longer provide discomfort for amputees and create more efficient ways of implementing Brain-machine interfaces in prosthetics.

I know I will find inspiration and motivation within the College of Engineering Community Building Committee and wish to, eventually, be a part of the team committee.

So, I hope to open up a new chapter; a chapter at Carnegie Mellon, one step closer to my goals.