The Art of Engineering by Cathleen

The Art of Engineering by Cathleen - July 2016 Scholarship Essay

Other interns conversed near me enthusiastically, discussing their previous internships and award-winning research papers. Meanwhile, I skulked in the corner, intimidated by the talent and intelligence of the future mathematicians, scientists, and engineers around me. While I was excited to be an intern for NASA, I felt overwhelmed because I did not have much scientific or engineering experience in a working environment, and my internship was to work with the traveling Hubble exhibit, rather than to conduct complex scientific research.

Because I was lacking in engineering experience, I was intimidated when I first met my mentor. Just his job position, "Deputy Manager of the Hubble Space Telescope," struck fear in my heart. I thought to myself, will he accept my passion for space as enough to do my job?

I remember the first question he asked me was, "So, what do you know about Hubble?" I spouted what I knew about Hubble from reading articles online and viewing documentaries, but confessed that I knew little of the technical aspects of the telescope. Expecting an angry lecture, I was surprised when he simply smiled and said, "That's perfectly fine! That's what I'm here to teach you about this summer." And so, promptly, he provided me with more reading material on the Hubble Space Telescope and its mechanics, as well as some of its history.

I read the book intently the entire night, picking up minute details about the spacecraft. I expected a quiz the next day, some test to decide whether or not I was worthy enough of the Hubble team. But to my surprise, my mentor simply explained more about space and celestial processes to me in general. He showed me different parts of the control station, and I looked on with wonder at the glowing screens, the image of the telescope blinking, beyond our earth. He patiently explained to me all the parts of the Hubble telescope, and reminded me not to fret. The point of the summer was to provide the team with help, but also to learn.

One day, my mentor asked me what I liked to do in my free time. I was afraid I would receive backlash for not replying with something STEM-related, but decided that it would be best to tell the truth, and so I admitted to my passion for art. His only response was shock—that I had not told him sooner. He explained and reassured me that a key part of engineering was its interdisciplinary nature. An engineer cannot inspire ingenious ideas without creativity, and so the engineer cannot exist without retaining artistic qualities as well. The key lessons he taught me were never to discredit the knowledge and skills I had, because the creativity involved in the arts is necessary in STEM-related fields, and can help me with creating new solutions for existing problems.

My mentor and the Hubble team were always supportive, leading me through the process, showing me different parts of their history, and never failing to teach me more. Over the summer, I was not only able to create an interactive kiosk for a museum exhibition, but I was also able to increase my scientific knowledge in a nurturing environment, and solidify my determination to pursue the art of engineering.