Personal Impacts that Led Me to my Future by Queandre

Personal Impacts that Led Me to my Future by Queandre - February 2024 Scholarship Essay

Growing up, I always found working with my father to repair parts on cars, build fences, and put objects together with instructions a true thrill. A few years back, I was working/talking about circuits when my mom mentioned the term engineering to me. I formerly thought that engineers were people who fix things, but in a sense, I was correct. When she elaborated on what they do and their responsibility, I knew I wanted to become one of these "engineers." Later in life, I started attending my parents' jobs and meeting people they worked with, not realizing that engineers constantly surrounded them. The motivational speeches and the tips they provided became trapped in my head, and I had information to set my foundation for my engineering journey.

I knew I wanted to be an engineer, but I had trouble figuring out which one I wanted to be for the longest. So, during the summer of 2023, I was privileged to be enrolled in a couple of engineering-based camps to help me figure out which branch of engineering I wanted to partake in throughout college and postgraduate by providing various projects and lectures from current professors. The first was at the University of Texas at Austin, and the second was at Prairie View A&M University. As I packed my clothes and mentally prepared myself for these back-to-back camps, I reminisced on the motivation that prepared me for these upcoming camps. I thought about the engineering-related concepts my physics teacher taught me shortly before the school year ended, mentally preparing me for the forthcoming criteria and projects. I then recapped the conversation between me and my mom about her relationships and what she does with the engineers at her job. Shortly before departure, she insisted I take a test many potential communication engineers must take and pass to become hired. My mom informed me that this test is a common one that fails. I took the test and passed on the first attempt, proving that I could become an engineer and locked in my decision to become an engineer.

For years, mechanical engineering has been a vital productivity aspect in society. Mechanical engineers have helped design and build the machines used to manufacture products, from textiles to electronics. As technology continues to advance daily, machinery is slowly becoming outdated. With this, mechanical engineers must continue innovating and sustaining the updated machines. Pursuing mechanical engineering, I visualize myself expressing ideas concerning technological advancements individually and with groups, simultaneously making production cheaper and affordable while presenting ideas that pose the concept of upgrading outdated technology. I also see myself performing regular checks on factory machinery to ensure that machines are working correctly and holding myself accountable to be willing to learn something new about machinery every day. Obtaining this productive mindset leads to constant advancement and chronic use of technology and machinery.