Engineering, Business and Building Inspiration by Patrick

Engineering, Business and Building Inspiration by Patrick - March 2020 Scholarship Essay

My mother suggested that I choose a career that would use my natural talents. I was not sure what those were so I spent a lot of time focused on identifying my strengths and interests. As an “INTP-Architect” personality (per Myers-Briggs) and a problem-solver who enjoys math and restoration (per StrengthFinders), I decided to study civil engineering and business with the plan of starting an architectural engineering firm. My interest in engineering started when I became a host Fresh Air Fund host, a non-profit providing summer experiences to children from New York City’s underserved communities. Amal, son of a single Ecuadorian woman, traveled to my home when we were 6. Returning annually for 12 years, Amal taught me about his tough NYC neighborhood and I helped him to have fun and not worry about money, drugs or gangs. Our friendship helped both of us see the positive impact that one person could make and provided me with a real-life example of how engineering could improve people’s lives.

I plan to pursue a civil engineering undergraduate (2024) and graduate degree (2026) to learn how civil, structural and environmental engineering principles can be used to improve urban infrastructure, especially in underserved communities in historically significant cities, by enhancing the mental and physical health of building occupants and reducing the cost, difficulty and complexity of building maintenance. Although essential, I also want to be able to successfully apply what I learn to real-world problems and actively give back to communities like Amal’s. I believe that I can do this by annually participating in school-sponsored summer internships at US multinational and/or international engineering firms. I am fascinated by the architecture of the world’s oldest cities so would enjoy being able to see the work of architects and engineers that I study. Once I gain sufficient engineering expertise, I wish to pursue a business degree (MBA in 2028) to create a rock-solid business plan and launch my architectural engineering firm called “Building Inspiration”.

ENGINEERING YEARS
19 years old 2020 - 2021 Freshman - Civil Engineering / Internship
20 years old 2021 - 2022 Sophomore - Civil Engineering / Internship
21 years old 2022 - 2023 Junior - Civil Engineering / Internship
22 years old 2023 - 2024 Senior - Civil Engineering / Internship
23 years old 2024 - 2025 Master Architectural Engineering / Internship
24 years old 2025 - 2026 Master Architectural Engineering / Internship

BUSINESS YEARS
25 years old 2026 - 2027 MBA
26 years old 2027 - 2028 MBA

BUILDING INSPIRATION
27 years old 2028 - 2029 Launch Architectural Engineering Firm
28 years old 2029 - 2030 Launch Architectural Engineering Firm