This is my essay for Carnegie Mellon University. It would be much appreciated if you could look over and give some feedback about it. Note that hello.World is not a typo, that's the title given for a project. Thank you very much.:)
Prompt: Why you have chosen Carnegie Mellon and your particular major(s), department(s) or program(s)? This essay should include the reasons why you've chosen the major(s), any goals or relevant work plans and any other information you would like us to know. [1-page]
"It's important to have specific dreams. Dream Big. Dream without fear."
This was what Dr. Randy Pausch, a former Carnegie Mellon computer science professor, spoke in his Last Lecture. Dr. Pausch dreamed of working with Disney, but it took him many unsuccessful attempts before finally being accepted. He was widely respected for co-founding a unique interdisciplinary approach at Carnegie Mellon's computer science department to break new grounds, bringing together artists, dramatists and designers. The Last Lecture inspired me to follow Pausch's footsteps into the Carnegie Mellon's School of Computer Science into his newly discovered field of entertainment technology.
Dr. Pausch also mentioned that "you've got to get the fundamentals down, because otherwise the fancy stuff is not going to work." For me, my fundamental steps began when I was five years old. When my dad introduced me to the computer realm, I instantaneously became fascinated with new technologies! Starting with writing a movie player using Visual Basic Programming language, I extended my learning and exploration in programming and robotics-essentially towards the "fancy stuff". Continuing throughout my middle school years, I won numerous awards in Intel Northwest Science Exposition. I eventually became a finalist at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Reno, proving to myself how far my childhood dreams have uplifted me. One of my key science fair projects began when I was in high school, when I worked towards applying my computer science knowledge to the real world. Several times when mom drove me around town, I mourned over the tragic deaths of drivers involved in car collisions on my sight, especially the victims. During my junior year, I engineered a new device that can be adopted in any vehicle. By using a built-in camera and image processing software, the device could detect traffic signs ahead of time using its color, shape, and text. The device could then automatically alert the driver for any dangers or obstacles ahead of time. After the device was built, I tested it on a vehicle. It successfully warned the driver to stop at the stop sign when it is detected. Although my device has been completed for science fairs, my dream for technology evolution still ignites in my heart.
Even though I've had success with my own devices, I enjoy viewing other engineer's success. During the high school years, I have viewed many videos about new technologies and ideas in computer science, many from Carnegie Mellon. One of the projects that I lucidly remembered was the hello.World project created in 2003, developed for Building Virtual Worlds. From first impression, I clearly remembered the virtual world from the unique "pink bunnies" to "software exception" that destroyed the world. However, what intrigued me even more of the simple interactions of the person controlling the world with his glove controller and his headset, being able to have a full 360 degree view as well as growing flowers and trees from a simple swipe from his hand. From this creation, I was even more fascinated how computer technology can be applied to entertainment. Carnegie Mellon is the only university in the country to offer an Entertainment Technology degree. This program draws my attention because it combines both of my passions of computer science and art. My goal is to follow Dr. Pausch's footsteps by pursuing a Bachelor of Computer Science and Arts degree. By enrolling in Carnegie Mellon University, it would not only challenge me to apply my knowledge to the real world, but to also apply them to a creative context. Only my imagination can become the limit of the new idea I can pursue, where not only I would be dazzled by technology, but I would also be able to design them for people's future.
