How My Grandmother Led Me to Relentlessly Pursue My Engineering Goals by Brooke

How My Grandmother Led Me to Relentlessly Pursue My Engineering Goals by Brooke - March 2023 Scholarship Essay

My grandmother was the type of person to stop in the middle of a crowded mall and pray aloud for someone that she saw struggling. She taught me that there is never a bad time to be kind and compassionate and she showed me through her actions how helping others can make a difference. She encouraged me to be persistent, hard working, and charitable. Though the wisdom that she instilled in me through her words and her example were extremely impactful, I also found that her painful experiences showed me the most valuable lessons.

When I was ten years old, my grandmother was diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The ALS caused her muscles to slowly become useless, her smile to fade, and her tongue to become too weak to speak. As the disease progressed medical equipment accumulated throughout her home. It started with little gadgets to help her write, as her fingers were unable to grasp a pen. She had to have a feeding tube inserted into her stomach like an umbilical cord because her brain could no longer send a signal to her throat indicating a need to swallow. She was unable to move from her bed to the bathroom without assistance, so my family had a remote-controlled lift installed in her bedroom. We nicknamed it “The Python,” as the track looked like a snake slithering across the ceiling. She transitioned to an electric wheelchair when walking became impossible for her deteriorating legs. Her lungs became too weak for her to consistently breathe, causing her to become dependent on a ventilator.

When she could no longer speak, write, or type, the only method of communication that she had left was the Eye Gaze communication device. This was a computer that could sense her eye movements and detect what letter her eyes were resting on, enabling her to slowly type her thoughts. Once she had written what she wanted to say, the text-to-speech function on the computer would dictate her words or save them to an email or word document. The automated speech of this device became her voice. It was the only way that I could speak with my grandmother who had once been so vibrant and vocal. It was my only remaining connection to her mind and soul that were now trapped inside of a degenerating body.

It was painful to watch her become reliant on technology. My grandmother was my hero, my inspiration, and I was forced to watch her deteriorate. But as I entered my first Gateway to Technology class I felt a spark of realization; it was because of the innovations in the engineering field that my grandmother was able to live and function as long as she did. Those years full of innovative machines shaped me and showed me how technology can improve someone’s quality of life. Ventilators and feeding tubes kept my grandmother alive long enough to meet my cousin’s children, her great-grandchildren. The Eye Gaze communication device gave her the chance to secretly type love letters to her grief-stricken family in the years before she passed. These letters were dispersed before her funeral. It gave a voice to the voiceless. I had always loved to build and create, but it was only after experiencing such pain that I found my calling. It was only through immense grief that I discovered my purpose. I am going to school to become a biomedical engineer because I see the difference that medical equipment can make in the lives of those who are suffering. I choose to be relentless in my studies and steadfast in my beliefs so that I may one day achieve this goal.

My beloved grandmother passed away right as I was entering high school. The memories of my grandma are now tainted with tears. But as I look back, I am grateful. Through her pain I learned compassion. I taught myself how to operate the Python, how to adjust the wheelchair for her comfort, how to fill her feeding tube, and how to set up her computer. I found fulfillment in assisting her as she once assisted me. She stayed strong even when her pain was unbearable. Her message to me was one of empathy and self sacrifice, and she encouraged me to give to my community whenever possible. I feel as though I can carry on her legacy through the small acts of kindness that mean the world to someone in need, as well as through a career that is built around helping others. I am so thankful for those last couple of years I spent with her; they formed who I am and brought my family closer together. They showed me the importance of innovative and humanitarian engineering, and that a career can be more than a job. The work of engineers was extremely impactful on my grandmother and so many others like her. I believe that obtaining an education so that I can thrive in this field will lead me to someday have that kind of impact on those in need.