Final Statements?
The deadline is February 1, 2006, 5pm. All I am really looking for at this point is grammar and spelling checks. Thanks.
Bioengineering
My interest in Bioengineering first took root when I participated in the role-playing game Shadowrun in my late elementary school years. Based in the year 2050, the Shadowrun universe places its heroes and villains in post-apocalyptic earth where magic and myth run amuck among a high-tech society ruled by mega-corporations and corrupt governments. Yet in spite of the powerful magic spells or the intricate Matrix-esque world of the “deckers,” I found the most intriguing part of the Shadowrun world to be “cybernetics” – an assortment of electro-mechanical implants that turned an ordinary individual into something extraordinary. Inspired but unfulfilled by the limited offerings in the official Shadowrun game, my companions and I developed a completely new set of powerful cybernetic devices. Engineering these devices in our minds was my first exercise in what might be called “Bioengineering.”
Years later, during my senior year in high school, I conducted research into “cybernetics,” or bionics as I soon learned was the correct term. I was thrilled to learn about state of the art systems such as the highly successful cochlear implant and the early work into restoring vision to the blind. Perhaps if I had attended the University of Washington directly after high school, I would have learned about the newly established Bioengineering Department and applied. Instead, I chose a different path – until my interest in biological systems and engineering eventually led me to consider finishing my education at the University of Washington. Although the other educational institutions I attended did not offer degrees in Bioengineering, I managed to complete much of the introductory coursework anyway. This is because my interests really do lie at the intersection of biology, medicine, and engineering that is Bioengineering. Indeed, when I sat down with a University of Washington Bioengineering advisor before autumn quarter, we were both amazed at how much of the Department’s prerequisites I had already completed.
I believe that my unique experiences and accomplishments will enhance the Bioengineering Department. I am an active mentor with a FIRST (see www.usfirst.org) Robotics team, the Titan Robotics Club (TRC), which I co-founded during my senior year in high school. The TRC had such a large impact on my life that, when I returned to the Seattle area, I began working with the team again so that I could help high school students have an experience similar to mine. Since I rejoined the TRC, the club has won back-to-back regional competitions and placed highly at The Championship (5th and 9th out of 300 teams from across the nation). I say this not to boast (although I do like to brag about the kids on the team), but to show that I understand the motivation and dedication it takes to build a winning team.
My position at Microvision is another unique experience that I bring to your department. This position – Software Test Intern – was originally slated to run three-to-six months. I have now been at it for nearly two years, and I have worked on projects not typically associated with an intern’s role – including business trips to meet with important clients and the development of mission-critical applications delivered to partners and consumers. The arrangement remains mutually beneficial – Microvision provides flexibility and real-world experience, and I deliver high-quality work and timely results.
It is worth noting that Bioengineering is not my only interest. From my transcripts, you will see that I have taken a wider variety of science and technology classes than is necessary for application to the Department. I made this choice because I genuinely enjoy learning about how our universe works and because my full interest might be better described as “Biocomputer Engineering.” Indeed, if accepted to both Bioengineering and Computer Engineering, I plan to pursue degrees in both.
My experience at Microvision demonstrated to me that innovation rarely comes from following the well-trodden paths. Instead, innovators must take roads less traveled, perhaps stumbling on occasion, in order to learn and create. Thus, when a friend who is nearing the completion of his Bioengineering degree told me that some might see the Department’s labs as open-ended, I took this as a sign of a cutting-edge program. If we are truly “inventing the future of medicine,” we cannot take Main Street and expect to arrive at a novel destination. Moreover, I have found through my work at Microvision and my experiences in the FIRST Robotics competitions that I feel most energized and productive in environments where not everything has already been reduced to a book of rules.
I am excited about the prospect of studying Bioengineering, as I believe that I will be able to make a real difference with the education I will receive. With this opportunity before me, I can honestly say that I have never been more motivated or directed in my life. Thank you for your consideration.
Computer Engineering
When I first applied to the University of Washington in 2001, I listed my major of choice as Computer Science. The University accepted me and offered me early admission to the CS program. Instead of accepting that offer, I chose a different path – a path that has brought me back to the Seattle area, but now with much more experience, motivation, and dedication.
Through experiences such as my current position at Microvision and my work with the Titan Robotics Club, I learned that programming alone was not nearly as interesting to me as was developing an entire device. Thus, I see my interests as having shifted away from “Computer Science” and towards “Computer Engineering” – a major that strikes me as the perfect blend of hardware and software, of theory and application. Although it is a bit dramatic, as a “computer scientist” I always imagined myself trapped forever in a dark cubicle in front of a glowing monitor tapping away at a keyboard late into the night. As a computer engineer, I see myself in a somewhat brighter cubicle working not quite as late into the night on a much more real device – and enjoying myself a lot more. In short, I think that Computer Engineering is about balance – the right balance for me.
I believe that my unique experiences and accomplishments will enhance the Computer Science and Engineering Department. I am an active mentor with a FIRST (see www.usfirst.org) Robotics team, the Titan Robotics Club (TRC), which I co-founded during my senior year in high school. The TRC had such a large impact on my life that, when I returned to the Seattle area, I began working with the team again so that I could help high school students have an experience similar to mine. Since I rejoined the TRC, the club has won back-to-back regional competitions and placed highly at The Championship (5th and 9th out of 300 teams from across the nation). I say this not to boast (although I do like to brag about the kids on the team), but to show that I understand the motivation and dedication it takes to build a winning team.
My position at Microvision is another unique experience that I bring to your department. This position – Software Test Intern – was originally slated to run three-to-six months. I have now been at it for nearly two years, and I have worked on projects not typically associated with an intern’s role – including business trips to meet with important clients and the development of mission-critical applications delivered to partners and consumers. The arrangement remains mutually beneficial – Microvision provides flexibility and real-world experience, and I deliver high-quality work and timely results.
It is worth noting that Computer Engineering is not my only interest. From my transcripts, you will see that I have taken a wider variety of science and engineering classes than is necessary for application to the Computer Engineering Program. I made this choice because I genuinely enjoy learning about how our universe works and because my full interest might be better described as “Biocomputer Engineering.” Indeed, if accepted to both Computer Engineering and Bioengineering, I plan to pursue degrees in both.
In looking at the many educational options available at the University of Washington, I find the Capstone Design Courses offered by the Computer Engineering department particularly exciting. In my life experiences so far, I have learned that innovation occurs in the attempts to solve real problems and to make real systems work. Therefore I see the Capstone Design Courses as a very accurate model of the real engineering world. At Microvision, I have seen that innovation rarely comes from following well-trodden paths Instead, innovators must take roads less traveled, perhaps stumbling on occasion, in order to learn and create. Moreover, I have found through my work at Microvision and my experiences in the FIRST Robotics competitions that I feel most energized and productive in environments where not everything has already been reduced to a book of rules.
I am excited about the prospect of studying Computer Engineering, and with this opportunity before me, I can honestly say that I have never been more motivated or directed in my life. Thank you for your consideration.