UMBC Short Answer - Goals and scholarly activities

1. Discuss your educational and career goals
My Response: From a young age, I have been captivated by the power of technology and its ability to transform every part of our lives. From the time I first learned multiplication tables through the computer, to the time I created my own Open Source Linux Operating system, technology and its applications never ceases to amaze me. Technology can be used to change the world, and I would like not only to watch it, but also to help shape its path. I don't just want to use operating systems and network protocols but also to design them. Thus as I strive to achieve my goal as a computer systems architect I plan to master my field, and gain a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Computer Science

2. Describe your scholarly or creative activities
My Response: For the past two years I have been working on a scholarly project, developing my own custom Linux Operating System Distribution, PalLinux. PalLinux is tailored as an educational Open Source operating system for low-end computers. The purpose of this project was to give parents the ability to repurpose aging desktops/laptops, as an educational tool, full of educational software, to help kids lean how to use the computer among other things. As, I enter college I aim to keep developing this software and soon have it stable enough for public release.

This is an short answer for a scholarship for "prospective undergraduate students of all backgrounds who plan to pursue doctoral study in the sciences or engineering and who are interested in the advancement of minorities in those fields."

Your feedback is deeply appreciated :-)

--Palash