Building my Future by Madeline

Building my Future by Madeline - April 2025 Scholarship Essay

I am majoring in Civil Engineering with a minor in Architecture at Stevens Institute of Technology’s. Their motto “Inspired by Humanity” to me is the premise that it is people that drive other’s motivation and are a foundation for their values and beliefs. Humanity drives the University and its student body to innovate. “Powered by Technology” is the fuel that allows Stevens’ students to create, imagine, support, and ultimately solve challenges of people and communities.
Innovating for the greater good of the world means working to create and improve systems, machinery, materials, and structures to make them more efficient and successful. It also requires finding ways to make these innovations available to everyone, everywhere. Stevens’ motto inspires me to pursue my degree in engineering because it ensures endless possibilities and opportunities will be available to me, and it gives me the resources and technology to do great things in a great place.
Stevens motto empowers me to continue to pursue my passions. When I was younger, 7 or 8 years old, I was constantly looking for things to fix, take apart, and build. My parents encouraged this interest with my own membership to “Tinker Boxes”. These boxes were monthly, and they were filled with parts and wires and batteries, activities allowing kids to build gadgets and toys. One of my favorite “tinkers” came right around when summer break started, and it was a built-in home screen projector. So, not only did I get to build it, but my family and I used it constantly throughout the entire summer. This drive and desire to build and create did not end with the boxes. That was just the beginning.
Starting in my freshman year, I had the opportunity to take engineering courses through Project Lead The Way (PLTW). This allowed me to take a deeper and more advanced dive into engineering through the civil engineering and architecture (CEA) pathway as well as the principles of engineering (POE) classes. My most memorable build in high school was my “Cookie Dropper”. It was an original design, original code, full build and included an operational test phase. It was a fully functional, cookie conveyor belt that allowed for toppings and boxing.
While my first projects were not yet inspired by humanity, but by my own curiosity, they were powered by technology and fueled by my passion for learning and creating. I cannot wait to begin my undergraduate journey at Stevens.