Letters / Motivation letter for CERN 2025 Technical Student Internship programme for civil engineering. [4]

Dear Selection Committee,
My fascination with the fundamental questions of our universe began early in life. At age eight, I found myself captivated by books about the Big Bang, star formation, and cosmic mysteries. This early curiosity has evolved into a driving force that shapes my professional aspirations. While circumstances led me to pursue civil engineering rather than physics, I've discovered that both fields share a profound commitment to understanding and improving our world through precise measurement, careful analysis, and innovative problem-solving.
My journey in civil engineering began in 2018 when I gained admission to XXXX after qualifying through the state government entrance exam. During this 3-year diploma program, I discovered the power of civil engineering and recognized how it could make the world a better place. This fascination drove me to work hard, ultimately completing my diploma with an 8.99 CGPA and earning a silver medal for outstanding academic performance.
This foundation led me to pursue a Bachelor's degree at XXXX (QS World Ranking 251-300), one of India's premier private universities, where I earned a 50% merit scholarship. Throughout my studies, I've developed expertise in crucial areas of civil engineering, including structural analysis, sustainable design, and advanced computational methods. I've also gained proficiency in programming languages like Python, SQL, and MATLAB, along with industry-standard software such as AutoCAD, ETABS, STAAD.Pro, RFEM-Dlubal, Fusion 360, SketchUp, and ArcGIS.
My drive to innovate and solve real-world problems has led me to participate in several innovation challenge competitions. In the All-India Level L&T EduTech Talent Fest, organized by India's leading construction company L&T, I led my team to the final round, where we were among just 10 teams selected from hundreds. We presented a novel idea for efficient water management in high-rise buildings through an effective plumbing system that separates blackwater from greywater, enabling water reuse with minimal, low-cost treatment while generating Pico Hydro-Electricity. In my university's annual innovation competition, Innotek, I proposed a new "Green Precast Road Pavement Block Design" that enables swift and economical road construction with minimal maintenance requirements.
Beyond academics, I've actively engaged in extracurricular activities. As an NSS (National Service Scheme) volunteer, I helped organize various social welfare and service camps. A notable highlight was the 65th Annual Convention of NASA, which brought together more than 6,000 architecture students from across India and Nepal for a two-day event. These experiences enhanced my leadership, teamwork, and management skills.
My optimism and motivation to create a sustainable and better world through civil engineering led me to develop a novel dam spillway design in February 2023, for which I filed a patent that is currently under publication. remarkably, in July 2024, my patent for "Cable-Stayed Building with Column Free Floor Design and Isolated Floor Support System" was published in Indian IPR-an innovation that emerged from my final year capstone project. I am currently developing a prototype and conducting analysis of this new building structure for the patent grant examination.
My professional experience includes a challenging two-month summer internship with the State Government Road Construction Department, where I worked on an Indo-Nepal Border Road project in a flood-affected area. This project involved constructing multiple long and short bridges, through which I gained valuable experience in construction site safety, risk management, and effective resource allocation in challenging conditions. I learned to tackle natural obstacles in ongoing construction work.
In my current role as a Special Survey Engineer with the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, Government of XXXX, I've gained extensive experience in precision measurement of land area using various surveying instruments and data analysis-skills that align perfectly with CERN's exacting standards for civil engineering.
My connection to CERN began in 2015 when, at age twelve, I read about the second run of the Large Hadron Collider. The article described CERN as "Scientists discovering the God in world's biggest Grand machine," which deeply resonated with me. Since then, I've followed CERN's achievements with growing admiration, observing how the organization combines cutting-edge physics with extraordinary engineering challenges. The technical complexity of CERN's facilities-from its underground accelerator complex to its sophisticated detector systems-presents exactly the kind of multidisciplinary challenges that excite me as an engineer.
The Technical Student Internship Programme 2025 represents an unparalleled opportunity to contribute my civil engineering expertise to one of humanity's greatest scientific endeavors. I am particularly interested in applying my background in structural analysis, sustainable infrastructure design, and engineering surveying to support CERN's ongoing facility maintenance and future expansion projects. The international nature of CERN also appeals to me, as it offers the chance to collaborate with experts from diverse cultural and technical backgrounds worldwide.
While my previous application to the 2024 CERN Openlab was unsuccessful, it has only strengthened my determination to be part of CERN's mission. I approach this application with renewed enthusiasm and a deeper understanding of how my skills could contribute to your organization. If selected, I commit to bringing my full measure of technical expertise, collaborative spirit, and unyielding dedication to the program.
Thank you for considering my application. I look forward to the possibility of contributing to CERN's remarkable mission.
Sincerely, XXXX

Scholarship / CERN 2025 Technical Student Internship - Civil Engineering [2]

I have been a very curious person since childhood. At the age of 8, I started reading about the universe, the Big Bang, and the formation of stars in general knowledge books. In my childhood, I often used to think about the universe and would get very scared thinking about the infinite size of the universe and would get very worried about the existence of human life. A few days ago, I came to know that everything is unpredictable at the quantum level, and no law of physics can make a prediction. At this level, there is no existence of free will of the human mind. After knowing this, I remained depressed for a whole week, and the feelings of the meaninglessness of life and the hopelessness of the universe became even stronger inside me. Finally, I have overcome this feeling. I often find myself surrounded by such questions and find myself in an existential crisis. I know that I can only try to know this universe but can never know it completely. Trying to know it is the existence of my life and the whole of humanity.
Due to all these experiences, I wanted to make my career in physics. However, coming from a state background in India where unemployment and poverty are at their peak, and where there is a lack of basic facilities and infrastructure, the standard of living is very low here. In such a situation, working to earn a living is the purpose of life. My family members did not allow me to make a career in physics due to their poor financial condition, and I had to take admission in civil engineering because jobs are easily available in it. I took admission in Diploma in Civil Engineering in 2018 and completed the diploma degree in 2021 with an 8.99 CGPA, for which I also got a silver medal from Sapne College. In these three years of study, I came to know how important civil engineering is for society and how it can help in solving the current problems of the world like pollution, floods, traffic, irrigation, complex transportation, etc., and how we can create a better world by promoting sustainable energy, sustainable and economical infrastructure, effective and economic city planning, etc., and how we can raise the standard of living. Taking this motivation forward, I took admission in a Bachelor's program in India's largest private university for further study of civil engineering in 2021. I also got a 50 percent scholarship on merit. In these three years of my bachelor's, I studied all the subjects of civil engineering thoroughly and also did their labs so that I could master all the departments of civil engineering. Along with this, I also did many certification courses, like the design of reinforced cement concrete structures from IIT Kharagpur, in which I also got a silver medal. In these three years, I have also learned many software programs for designing and analysis, including software like AutoCAD, ETABS, STAAD.Pro, RFEM/Dlubal, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Fusion 360, and ArcGIS.
After completing my degree in July 2024, I am very motivated and excited about my future. Recently, in the month of July, I joined the post of Special Survey Engineer in the Directorate of Land Records and Survey, Government of Bihar, which is a government organization. At the age of 12, I first heard about CERN in 2015, when LHC was run for the second time in March 2015. I read an article on the last page of the daily newspaper: "Scientists are searching for God in the world's biggest temple." Since then, I have been reading about CERN. The more I have tried to know about CERN, the more I have desired to know it. CERN is a great organization in itself, and its location in Geneva, Switzerland, makes it even more special for me. Working at CERN is like giving purpose to my human life. As CERN is researching the universe at a fundamental level, for me, becoming a part of CERN and helping in understanding the universe will give me a feeling of completeness.
My objective as an intern at your Technical Student Internship 2025 is to avail the advantages of securing the best knowledge, faculty, cutting-edge technology, and research environment. An internship at your prestigious organization would furthermore, due to internationality, provide insight into nationalities and diverse cultures throughout the world. Switzerland is one of the developed countries with an open heart and world-class education system, where science and technology are a way to achieve social progress. All these factors, coupled together, make it an ideal choice to do an internship and reach new heights. Interning at CERN would be a significant step towards achieving my career goals. I believe that I possess the intelligence, commitment, and tenacity necessary to accomplish my goals. Full of curiosity and hope, I had also applied for the last 2024 CERN Openlab, but I could not become a part of CERN. However, due to my strong desire to work at CERN, I could not stop myself from applying for the CERN internship this time also. And this time again, I am applying to CERN with new hope and energy. I am eagerly looking forward to being a part of your Technical Studentship Community. If I am given the opportunity to intern at your esteemed research organization, I would forever be grateful to you. I am committed to upholding the norms of your Technical Student Internship Programme and to being a deserving student.
Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to express myself and for taking the time to go through my application.