Undergraduate / "to ignite my aspirations" - My passion to become an engineer at U penn [7]

Prompt: Considering both the specific undergraduate school or program to which you are applying and the broader University of Pennsylvania community, what academic, research, and/or extracurricular paths do you see yourself exploring at Penn? (500 words)

The canopy of the evergreen trees failed to block the sight of the infinite sky. That's when I knew I had found the perfect place. I secured my 13-inch rocket to its fastener. I took a step back, held my breath, lit the wire extended to the combustion tank, and ran as fast as I could. It was like a dream, watching my creation skyrocket about 65 feet into the sky, only to be heart broken as it fell back into the welcoming arms of the Earth. Engineers create ideas that fail. My juvenile idea to get a rocket to Mars was my first failure, but I pursued research and focused on finding other ways to finally get there. All I needed was an opportunity.

As a mechanical engineering major at the University of Pennsylvania: School of Engineering, I hope to ignite my aspirations, just as I ignited my rocket. Penn offers programs such as, Advancing Women in Engineering because they understand the lack of women in the engineering field. It is so often that women are subjected to discrimination due to their gender, but more importantly how women are overlooked in this field, yet they have the power to engineer ideas. My opportunity came over the summer when I was selected to work with NASA in order to formulate the concept for a future Mars spacesuit. I thought of creating an exoskeleton framework around the structure of the spacesuit that would maintain the center of mass of the suit due to the planet's lower gravitational field. This simple, yet revolutionary idea caught the interest of NASA officials, and currently NASA is evaluating my ideas in order to create potential patents. Just as NASA gave me an opportunity to shine in my field, I hope to take advantage of the opportunity that AWE provides, to not only advance women in the field of engineering but also allocate my ideas in order to be recognized in this field. Although my rockets still lay buried in the ground they were first set off on, my ideas have landed on Mars.

Engineers learn from the works of others. By participating in research opportunities such as the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter, I would be able to work with K.I. Winey whose research I follow closely, especially in her latest publications on the use of nanotechnology and electrospinning on its impact on fuel cells. The idea of using nanofibers sparks my interest because this new technology can further not only the field of engineering, but also the field of medicine. I noted that LRSM is a jointed program between three schools and 4 departments. I am ecstatic to know that Penn, just as I do, has a holistic view in academics. I believe that academics is not a study of individual curriculum, but of an integrated study that could further knowledge in every field of study.

Undergraduate / DUKE-further research in the field of microbiology [NEW]

Over the summer, I was accepted into the Hofstra University Research Program to work along side with my mentor, Dr. JW. I investigated why Streptomyces venezuelae, a soil bacterium, could not be able to grow in a liquid environment. Normally, when Streptomyces venezuelae is plated in liquid, it is currently known to produce over two-thirds of the antibiotics in use today. However, there is a disadvantage of growing such bacteria in a solid substrate: the growth kinetics, or the association between the growth rate and producing a certain antibiotic, is hindered due to the vegetative hyphae formation that grows in a non-dispersed manner. A solution to this problem could be to grow the bacterium in a liquid environment in which the hyphae can be fully dispersed in the liquid, so that spectrophotometic assays could be taken to measure the growth kinetics. As the bacteria, both liquid grown and solid grown, were viewed under the microscope, I observed a pattern in the spores of the solid grown bacteria but failed to view that pattern in the liquid grown spores. To understand the mechanism behind it, I used a program called ImageJ to measure the spore lengths of the two cultures of bacterium and created a histogram to calculate the standard error of the two plates. Eventually, the result proved that Streptomyces venezuelae could not grow in a liquid environment because the spores were abnormal in the liquid cultures. This technique can be implemented in Biophysics and microbiology research.

After conducting this project, I realized that antibiotic research could be the lifelong endeavor of scientists. For example, I have spent two months collecting data, one month refining my theory, and two months to organize a formal science report. However difficult and time-consuming the project was, I am glad to have such a remarkable experience. In the future, I aspire to participate in interdisciplinary research to address problems that humanity faces.

Undergraduate / NASA spacesuit Cornell Engineering Supplemental [15]

Engineers turn ideas (technical, scientific, mathematical) into reality. Tell us about an engineering idea you have or your interest in engineering. Explain how Cornell Engineering can help you further explore this idea or interest. (500 words)

Sometimes I look up at the sky, only to realize the bittersweet truth that I am alone. It is ironic that there are approximately seven billion people swarming the earth, yet, when I look into space, it is lifeless.

Looking though my telescope at night, I could see craters on the moon, and behind the moon, I could see Mars, crimson like the setting sun. Many call it the red planet; I call it a beckon of life. Maybe space wasn't so lifeless after all: Mars, unlike any other planet, has frozen ice caps. The mere presence of water could indicate the possibility of life.

As an avid inventor, I have created rockets from scraps metal and tools after being inspired by Homer Hickam in October Sky, hoping to find that one could cross Earth's atmosphere and traverse into the barren space system. But those were mere baby steps compared to the opportunity that would allow me to truly expand my interest in Mars.

NASA wanted young engineers, myself and 42 other students selected from a national pool of applicants, to come up with ideas for a future spacesuit. This was the perfect opportunity to express my desire to create a meaningful contraption, or at least a machine bigger than my 13-inch stainless steel rockets, that would one day reach mars and explore the possibility of life. I was invited to attend MIT to talk to various engineers on their latest spacesuit prototypes. Dr. Larry Kruzntez, a senior scientist at NASA, and Charles Camrada, a former astronaut, taught me the basic principles regarding Mars. Its atmosphere is entirely different and complex than the Earth, with its most abundant gas being carbon dioxide. But more importantly, its gravitational forces are weaker than earth's, creating an essential problem when developing a maneuverable spacesuit. This difference in gravitational forces creates an imbalance in the center of gravity, making the astronaut unable to perform simple actions such as walking.

I focused on the robotics of the suit, which would not only help alleviate the atmospheric problems, but also the center of gravity issues. I had an idea to create an exoskeleton framework around the structure of the spacesuit that would maintain the center of mass of the suit. It would essentially be a titanium structure that would be attached to the inner compartments of the suit, where the weight of the life support system and the center of mass would be counter balanced through the titanium frame. This simple, yet, revolutionary idea sparked the interest of the judges as I presented my findings. NASA is currently evaluating my ideas in order to create potential patents.

Just as NASA provided me with an opportunity to make my idea come to life using the help of experienced scientists, Cornell Engineering programs such as Kessler Fellows, and The Cornell Center for Materials Research the would allow me to implement and make them real.

Undergraduate / the Petri Dish + NY City + M. Luther King from the past - NYU supplemental Essays [6]

Hi, all these essays had a limit of 500 characters! :)

Please tell us what led you to select both your anticipated academic area(s) of study and the NYU school / college / program or the Abu Dhabi campus. What interests you most about your intended discipline? Mention any extracurricular or non-school-related activities or experiences that demonstrate your interest.

As I peered into the Petri Dish with the bacterium, I saw the antibiotics being produced in colors of bright violet and crimson red. I never realized that the cure for prevalent diseases could lie within a small organism. I choose to study pre-professional medicine at NYU because I hope using the knowledge of microbiology research and the experiences in the medical field of volunteering at Long Island Jewish Hospital to help save the lives of many people by becoming a doctor.

NYU is 'In and of the City' and 'In and of the World.' What does the concept of a global network university mean to you? How do you think studying in New York City, Abu Dhabi, or one of NYU's global sites would change you as a person and equip you to build cross-cultural relationships at NYU and beyond?

A global network university is one that encompasses culture, and diversity. Studying at NYU, would allow to me fully absorb the blends of the various cultures and the diversity from this campus's atmosphere. Having always lived in an area where diversity is present, I understand the necessity of partaking in a "global network", in which I would be able to challenge my values and beliefs to become a more holistic person.

If you had the opportunity to bring any person -- past or present, fictional or nonfictional -- to a place that is special to you (your hometown or country, a favorite location, etc), who would you bring and why? Tell us what you would share with that person.

I would bring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from the past. During his time, he was a freedom figure, whose only goal was to break the forces of segregation and bring about unity. I would bring him to the nation's capital of Washington D.C., the same place where he told his "I have a dream speech" 50 years ago. I want to share with him how his simple, yet powerful words of wisdom rang in the ears of future generations and even though he was not there to see it then, his "dream" did come true.

Undergraduate / "the Innovative Conceptual Engineering Design" - Common App- one of your activities [3]

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below (150 words or fewer).

I was selected from a competitive national pool of applicant into the Innovative Conceptual Engineering Design Program. This program allowed me to work and research with NASA representatives along with well known professors from various universities including Penn state, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Under the mentorship of former astronaut Charles J. Camarda and NASA's Senior Scientist Lawrence H. Kuznetz, I was grouped with other brilliant students from across the nation and was voted to be the team leader of my group. Our task, across the span of 7 weeks, was to develop the next generation space suit for Mars exploration. I then presented my findings to a panel of judges and to the press and won many acclamations for my research and ideas, which ultimately led to the opportunity to watch the space launch and take a tour at NASA's Kennedy space station in Florida.

146 words

Undergraduate / "The Legacy of Tolerance" - Common App- How I faced discrimination and ignorance [6]

Prompt: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you

The Legacy of Tolerance

It was quiet, empty, and lifeless. My mind was flooding with the irony of this place. This was a children's playground, not a war zone. In a place where joy should flourish, burning cigarette butts, thrown haphazardly on the ground, were the only things shining brightly. But as I walked through the silent park, I felt a shiver go down my spine when I realized how familiar this place looked.

I heard laughter and saw a little boy run inside the park, as if he brought back the happiness. I was walking slowly, and suddenly heard a loud shriek. Bewildered, I ran towards the noise, and saw a group of boys, swarming like bees, around the small boy. Much to my horror, they pushed him to the ground and I caught the word "terrorist" slipping from their mouths. The group fearful of what they had done picked up their bikes and biked away from their mistake. Except one of them wasn't that fast, his shocked face looked back down at the boy and I could tell he felt guilty for what he just did. As he was about to bike home with his group, he saw me from the other side of the park, and froze as if he were waiting for me to charge at him like an angry gorilla. But like a coward he sprinted on his bike out of the park, but I got to see him turn his head back as if he left something behind: his dignity. My heart felt lifeless as I watched the boy fall to the ground. As he lay on the cold, dark ground, I sprinted towards him as fast as I could. I grasped his small, cold hands and helped him up. Slowly, he opened his eyes and through the reflection of his hazel eyes I saw myself six years previously.

My memories fluttered in front of my eyes, as I went back to a day as cool and crisp as this one. My grandpa, "Dada" and I were the only ones in the park. I wanted to show him how I had mastered the monkey bars. Enthusiastically, I jumped onto the bars, but my focus was broken by a group of Caucasian teenagers, wearing khaki shorts and baggy t-shirts. I quickly returned my gaze to the next bar, trying to avoid their brooding eyes. I was almost to the last bar, and my arms were aching, but I didn't want to give up. I gave one of my arms a last thrust forward to catch the next bar, but before I could, I heard someone yell, "Get out of this country!" As I was turning to hear the source of the noise, I was distracted by a long and dirty glass bottle slowly coming towards my direction. I could see it high in the air, soaring toward me, and as it fell to the rubber ground, my eyes focused to the group of kids behind the bottle. I heard another noise, except this one was kind, my grandfather calling my name. I let go of the bar and anticipated my fall onto the cold, hard ground. Instead, I fell into the warm and comforting arms of my grandfather. As he called my name again, I slowly opened my eyes to the sight of my grandfather's own distressed, soft, blue eyes and the outline of his turban. He looked pale but unmoved. Hatred for those kids bubbled in my system. What did I do wrong that they wanted us to leave this country? The group of teens were nowhere to be seen, but their cruel hurt was left behind. I told my Dada how much I hated those boys. He wiped my tears of hate, and looked me in my eyes, and simply told me, "Your hate won't change anything; you must meet hate with love, and forget their cruel actions. Forgive those who cannot understand who you really are inside. Your tolerance is worth more than their intolerance."

As I looked into the tear-drenched eyes of this young boy, I saw myself. His beautiful eyes were drowning with the hatred of those boys. As I wiped the tears off his face, I saw how much I had changed. I had the courage and strength in me to fight a prevalent disease by a simple act of forgiveness. I was able to see the world just as my grandfather showed me. My words in unison with my grandfather's had the power to change the world; these words are now my legacy. As I brought his words to this child, I hoped that he would be able to continue the journey of these words to emphasize to the world that the only cure for ignorance is forgiveness.