Chemical Engineer by Ryan

Chemical Engineer by Ryan - February 2019 Scholarship Essay

My dream job is becoming a chemical engineer. I plan to attend the University of Cincinnati and major in chemical engineering. While in college, I will be participating in three semesters of co-ops where I get to work at different companies and gain valuable work experience in the career path I want to pursue in the future. I am interested in chemical engineering because of the multitude of topics covered in this major. I have learned about chemistry throughout my high school years. Atoms attach to each other to form molecular and ionic compounds depending on the types of atoms used. Different reactant chemicals can combine with each other to create new products. Precipitates, acids, bases, and salts come from different reactions requiring different initial chemicals at the start of the reactions. Oxidation reduction reactions can occur in metals, acids, and salts. Chemical bonding is the basis of the formation of ionic and covalent molecules. Every molecule has its own unique molecular geometry and bonding. Every solution has its own concentration in terms of its molarity. Stoichiometric calculations can find amounts of unknown compounds in a solution. Thermochemistry is used in heat energy fields involving enthalpy, calorimetry, and differentiating between types of kinetic and potential energy amounts in certain molecules. The electronic structure of atoms is used in energy fields involving photons, waves, and models of atoms with electron configurations. The periodic table is an essential tool of any chemist and filled with many properties and trends for all 118 elements. Solid materials made from chemical atoms and molecules have certain classifications and structures. If solid elements heat to a high enough temperature, they become liquids with the own specific intermolecular forces and properties. If liquids heat to a high enough temperature, they become gases with their own set of separate characteristics, laws, and theories.

Chemical engineering is the branch of engineering that uses principles of chemistry, physics, math, and economics to produce, transform, and transport chemicals, materials, and energy. There are many industries that need chemical engineers The petroleum industry employs chemical engineers in order to extract, refine, and send oil to markets. Some examples of chemical products made from petroleum include gasoline, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, pesticides, perfumes, and plastics. The pharmaceutical industry uses chemical engineers to develop medications and medical devices for people who need them. Chemical engineers working in the fertilizer industry discover new chemicals to put in fertilizers to assist farmers in growing food for people around the world. The pesticide industry controls the insect population level and prevents diseases from spreading with the help of chemical engineers. Polymers created by chemical engineers can be formed into plastic materials such as bottles, dishes, hoses, pipes, and siding. The food industry utilizes chemical engineers in the manufacturing of certain products by having them add hormones or other growth agents. A more traditional job environment for a chemical engineer is working in or managing a chemical factory or plant. These plants work to combine and separate certain chemicals to create other useful materials. Some examples of these factories are power plants, oil refineries, biochemical plants, and wastewater treatment plants. These factories experiment by conducting chemical reactions in fluid systems and other chemical reactor systems. The combination of chemistry with engineering seems like the perfect major for me to study in college, and the perfect job for me in the future.